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we’re gonna be in Philippians 4 is where
we’re gonna be after you have your
Bibles or your phone or we’ll have it on
the screens for you but I want to give
you some context to the book of
Philippians Philippians is a letter from
Paul to a church in a place called
Phillipi Philippi Philippians the the
city of Philippi was a place where a lot
of Roman soldiers would retire they
would retire to this place and so what
that meant is there are a lot of people
who were loyal to Caesar in this this
area and the Roman Empire in Rome at
this time ruled a lot of the world and
so Paul gets thrown in jail for
preaching the gospel and he’s in jail
and they the church at Philippi they
send someone to send him money and so
they send him some money and we get this
letter because Paul is taking time to
thank them for the money that he sent to
him and so that’s kind of a context
Paul’s writing from jail and it’s a
thank you letter for money and resources
that was sent to him and so we’re gonna
pick it up in Philippians 4 we’ll start
in verse 10 this is what the Bible says
it says how I praise the Lord that you
are concerned about me again where I
know that you’ve always been concerned
but you didn’t have a chance to help me
not that I was ever in need for I’ve
learned how to be content
everybody say content with whatever I
have I know how to live with almost
nothing and with everything I have
learned the secret of living I learned
the secret of living in every situation
whether a full stomach or empty with
plenty or little and you if you’ve ever
played on a team or been around church
at all you’ve heard this next scripture
Philippians 4:13 for I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me the
title of my message today if you’re
taking notes and I would encourage you
to take notes it’s kind of like a Fast
Pass at Six Flags when you get to heaven
show him your notes may get you in the
fast line joking I’m just kidding but
the title of my message today is the
secret sauce to life the secret sauce to
life I’m gonna take a moment and pray
and then we’ll jump in lord I thank you
so much your words
that were 2 or 3 are that you’re there
so I thank you Lord right now that
you’re here with us
lord I pray even as we sang earlier that
you would speak to our hearts we don’t
want to talk we don’t want to just come
in a building and sing a few songs we
want to encounter Jesus Lord I thank you
that you’re here and that you’re
speaking to us it is in Jesus name we
pray and everybody said amen
[Music]
did you guys have a good 4th of July did
anybody have a good 4th of July
yeah yeah anybody shoot off fireworks
any fireworks shoot of crazy people
shooting up we got one person shooting
fireworks all right every year we
celebrate 4th of July and we go over to
my wife’s family’s house we shoot off
fireworks and everybody they start
firing at us does anybody ever have
fireworks shoot off at you anybody it’s
like the most exhilarating thing in the
world but and terrifying but this year
again they shot off and started firing
at us and I didn’t hit me because I was
inside to begin with because I knew it
was sketchy so I looked through the
window like those are nice yes that’s
great and they start firing off and
everybody’s running and screaming I’m
like oh man it stinks to be you guys out
there but the for July it’s a fun time
and we we celebrate we’re celebrating
the independence of America the tyranny
from England and the Queen and a group
of men got in a room and they wrote
something called the Declaration of
Independence and the Declaration of
Independence is kind of stating hey we
don’t like you we’re becoming our own
place and they pinned these words that
we now know as our Declaration of
Independence and I want to use a
statement in there that maybe you’ve
heard or haven’t heard kind of the
groundwork for the talk we’re gonna
we’re gonna talk around today and I want
to share this with you right here this
is what it says in the Declaration of
Independence it says we hold these
truths to be self-evident that all men
are created equally that they are
endowed by the right of their creator
with certain inalienable rights though
though that among these are life liberty
and the pursuit of happiness life
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
I want to focus in on that last phrase
the pursuit of happiness and on
throwback Sunday I started thinking
about what is my pursuit of happiness
looked like like what are things maybe
growing up or that made me happy or have
made maybe happy at one point and I
started thinking about middle school
anybody remember being in middle school
anybody some you have to think way back
you know but in middle school do you
remember the exhilarating feeling when
you walked in and you saw a random
person you had never seen before sitting
behind the teacher’s desk I mean I was
so excited because that meant substitue
we are about to do nothing like when I
walked in and saw Miss Rando behind the
desk I was like yes this is going to be
amazing like I would get so happy
because I was just like this is great
and then Oh to top it off you remember
when you would walk in you see the
random lady so you’re like okay yes kind
of do some whatever gets them in trouble
and then you walk a little bit further
and you saw the most beautiful thing you
ever see in your life the rolling TV
with the strap on the top of it you know
what I’m talking about
glory to God I thought heaven was coming
down at that moment it was like yes this
is the greatest day of my life I would
get so happy when that what happens I
started thinking about that in a little
bit further I remember in high school if
you were to ask me Charles what what
would make you happy in tenth grade I
would have had two answers two answers
to that question one I was playing
football so I’d like I want to do good
and football wins state championship and
the second thing I would have told you
is I want to kiss amber Thomas now some
of you’re like that’s not your wife’s
name I know
chill it was before I met my wife I was
and I was in tenth grade like that was
like the biggest best thing I knew so
there’s this girl amber she was like the
prettiest girl in school and she was
actually two years older than me so I
was a sophomore she was a senior and
amber she had dated I played on the
football team she had dated the
quarterback for the team but he had
graduated and I heard through the
grapevine that she liked caramel ice
cream better than vanilla ice cream if
you know what I’m saying
sounds like look at God so so you won’t
laugh I’m gonna make you laugh but in
this service it’s okay
so I was like okay this is my chance so
I remember one day I saw her and I was
like yo girl how you doing it was
probably like but I remember I go up and
I’m talking to her and I’m like hey
we’re talking it so I get her number
because I’m a G and we start talking and
over time I’m like yo I think we and
amber about to start dating this is
might be crazy she’s literally the
baddest girl in school I’m a sophomore
she’s a senior and we’re doing pretty
well in football like all my dreams are
coming true like this is the greatest
day of my life and so my friends were
like yo have you kissed her yet though
and I was like listen and at this time I
grew up it laughing like that behind
y’all up in Jesus name
I had never kissed a girl now mind you
in pause in first grade I did kiss a
girl in front of the teacher because I’m
a G like that but I never kissed a girl
I was like no I was I was just weird and
kind of goofy and I was like this tall
and so it just didn’t work out anyways
Amber’s like listen we win state
championship and football will kiss
we’ll start dating I was like okay so we
go we’re playing football football’s
going well we go to the state
championship game and we blow them out
and I was like yes thank you Jesus you
have heard my prayers I’m a little after
the game I’m like amber where you at
girl where you at I’m like looking for
they’re holding the trophy up I’m like
amber like come down from the stands so
we come down it guys it was the most
terrible awkward I literally just like
half licked her face I like it was
really really bad really bad tell my
wife I got all the bad kisses out before
we got the
so it’s a lot better now but but I
started thinking about that as funny you
know the other day literally this past
Tuesday I was going through me and my
wife are moving so we were cleaning out
some stuff and at the bottom of this box
I was digging through and look what I
found
I found this my state championship ring
I put this thing on you know I’m saying
you know what it is you see the bling I
literally I put this on and I was like
aah and I start all those memories
started coming back I was walking
through the hallways with Ambrose like
yeah you know got the ring no big deal
and I walked it into the living room
with my wife I was like babe check it
out I found my state ring from high
school and she just looked at me she
goes you are so dumb
take that off nobody cares nobody cares
at all I was like man you trippin you
don’t know this ring is too small now
but you don’t know how cool that was and
I was a little bit offended but it kind
of like yeah you’re right I mean that’s
pretty stupid like if I’m walking around
where if I was actually wearing this
thing you’ll be like oh let’s really
meet but I started thinking about it and
it’s kind of funny that something that
took up all my energy something that was
such a big deal something that promised
so much happiness something that
actually happened in one season it
promised so much happiness but in
another it collected dust and it it got
me thinking that are there things in our
life that are like that right now like
are some of the things that are taking
up our mental energy some of the things
that were focused on that we’re praying
about that we’re asking God to get us
through that we think is such a big deal
could it be that maybe with some time
and perspective it’ll collect dust I
just we gotta ask this question because
we’re told that we’re supposed to be on
the pursuit of happiness like this this
is journey and it’s the American dream
and we’re keeping up with the Joneses
nobody knows who they are but we’re all
keeping up with him
and I just start to look at it I’m
thinking me and that that that seemed to
make me so happy and that was my pursuit
of happiness at that time but now it’s
just kind of like that’s kind of dumb
like that really I wish I would have
known that that wouldn’t be that big of
a deal
and I want to ask and present the
question to you today that how much has
the pursuit of happiness cost you like
what if you spent trying to find
happiness what if you done who have you
hung out with what things in your life
have you maybe compromised
trying to find happiness in your life
because if you look at America if you
look at our lives if you look at our
culture the pursuit of happiness can get
real expensive real quick I mean a lot
of people have spent their life savings
getting the white picket fence and it’s
all this big thing but there’s still no
peace inside of them a lot of people
have spent their integrity cutting
corners and making business deals under
the table all to get this idea of
happiness but there’s still something
missing maybe some of you in this room
you spent your purity saying you know
what I knew I shouldn’t have done that
but if I was just with that person if I
just had that relationship if I if I
just had fill in the blank then I would
be happy when we think about that and I
think about the pursuit of happiness
it’s sounds great on paper it’s a good
movie but it’s a terrible way to live
your life I mean happiness like
happiness is conditional happiness is
fleeting like some of our alarm clocks
have more control of our happiness than
we do
I mean you wake up late and you’re like
this is the worst day ever
God does not see me I don’t like
happiness some of you your boss has more
control over your day than you do some
of you your spouse has more control over
your day your kids have more control
everybody else has control over how your
day goes why because you’re on the
pursuit of happiness
and happiness is an emotion determined
by outward experience so your life after
a while start to look like a roller
coaster everything’s going good and
you’re up here and praise God and you’re
serving at church and everything’s but
the moment something goes wrong your
happiness is gone and you plumb it
people don’t see you in church you drop
off the map you start posting weird
stuff on Instagram it was like where is
they add like because it’s it’s
happiness and I have to ask the question
is there something better is there
something that is that you just ruin my
message but have this kid is there
something more than happiness and even
as we think about that but your natural
thought would be joy but I want to
present to you today that before joy God
is not concerned with your happiness as
much as he is you being content and I
know nobody likes that word like I don’t
know the last time you use that in a
sentence or tweeted it or you’ve never
seen a t-shirt that says content on the
front of it why because we don’t like
where we are because we’re not there
like you know there there is when I have
that job there is when I get that degree
there is when I’m with that person when
I have this amount of money when I there
is there but the only problem is when
you get there now it’s here there was
there but when I’m here it’s here so now
there is a little bit more that way and
so we keep going and we’re living our
lives dissatisfied because we’re chasing
something that always leaves us empty I
want to tell you today that there’s
something better than happiness and it’s
you being content with where you are and
honestly you don’t want happiness what
you want is joy you you think you want
happiness but you want joy you want
something that’s not from an
outside thing but you want something
that’s fulfilled by Jesus Christ that’s
sustained in the middle of storms that
can go through anything that will give
you strength I want to present to you
that the beginning of finding the joy of
the Lord is finding contentment and the
thing about contentment is great because
it’s not conditional contentment it is
being okay regardless you don’t believe
me look look at the scripture we just
read Paul says it in his Scripture he
says in Philippians 4:11 not that I’m
speaking from need for I’ve learned to
be content regardless of my circumstance
he’s saying I’ve learned something
through life and it’s made me okay
regardless of what’s going on mind you
he’s writing this from jail he’s writing
you use from from being incarcerated
because he’s preaching the gospel from
doing what God called him to do he’s in
jail and he’s saying you know what I
appreciate you guys sending me money
that was really nice
but really I’ve never needed anything
anyways because I’ve learned to be
content regardless of what’s going on
that’s what I want I don’t want I don’t
want happiness I want to be content
regardless of what’s going on regardless
of the economy regardless of who’s in
office regardless of of what other
people say regardless of my current
situation I need something that anchors
me we need contentment and my heart is
that we would be able to look at at
Paul’s life and realize the power of
contentment
because contentment is a prerequisite to
your joy think about it
how joyful can you be about a situation
that you’re not content in a lot of time
we want God to just make us happy but
you haven’t become okay with where he’s
placed you at the moment
you we have to learn to be content with
where God has us then he can give us joy
read it in the scripture in Philippians
4 he says I’ve learned to be content
regardless of my situation after he says
I’ve learned to be content then he says
I know how to get along and live humbly
and I also know how to enjoy he learned
how to be content then he learned how to
enjoy listen would you be
contents God gives you joy and the more
joy you have the stronger you will be
the joy of the Lord is our strength
so when I learned to become content with
where I am God can produce joy in my
life when he produces joy in my life
then I can be strong in stand when
normally I would run away or fall down
because I’ve found my contentment listen
the the more you could the more content
you can become in your area the more
content you become and where you are the
stronger you’ll be able to be could it
be that maybe the strong follower of
Jesus that you want to be the leader
that you want to be isn’t gonna be found
in doing more and working harder and
making sure you can quote the whole
Bible forwards and backwards could it be
it’s gonna be found your strength will
be found in your contentment could it be
that your strength and your power and
the thing that makes people look at you
and say wow how are they standing
through that situation how are they
standing in that marriage could it be
that it’ll happen when you learn to
become content with where you are and I
get it we we don’t want to be where we
are but do we trust God or do we not do
you think your current situation
surprised him do you think he didn’t
know that the business wouldn’t work out
or or that the marriage wouldn’t be
going as good as you thought do you
think that surprised God it doesn’t he
has you where you are for a reason if we
can learn to be content
God will produce joy which will give us
the strength we need to stand through
situations so the question has to be
asked how do I become more content how
do I find contentment in all the
craziness that’s going on because it
can’t be anchored on on anyone else I
get your contentment if it’s anchored on
something else then it turns into
happiness and now you’re up and down and
all around how do you find contentment
well believe as we look at this story
and look at Paul’s life that Paul found
contentment in the calling that God had
on his life he found his P
he found his anchor he found something
that would would keep him when
everything else was moving around when
they were threatening his life when they
were throwing and hid him in jail he
found contentment in his calling and I
want you to know that’s true for you too
it’s true for all of us your contentment
is found when you’re in your calling
it’s found when you’re where God has
called you to be I want to read this
scripture to you so why don’t we been
reading it says I know how to get along
and live humbly I also know how to enjoy
abundance and live in prosperity in
every circumstance I’ve learned the
secret well fed or going hungry
whether I have abundance or being in
need verse 13 I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me now
when you read that scripture that’s like
a preach in Scripture like I could
preach to you Philippians 4:13 you can
do all things through Christ who
strengthens you no matter what’s going
on regardless of what’s going on you
need to realize who’s on your side
because you can do all things through
Christ and I could go we would yell clap
scream and that would be amazing but
could it be that maybe the reason some
of us are in content is because we’re
doing all things I mean just think about
it I know or some of you’re thinking
what do you say just think about it I
can do all things and if you take that
scripture at face value you start
running around doing a bunch of good
things that you’re not graced for let
just just listen you there are good
things you can do that you are not
graced for you can do a lot of good
things it’s very good to go on a
missions trip it’s another thing to be
graced to be a missionary it’s good to
help those in need it’s different to be
graced to set up shop in a need area and
meet needs week in week out there are
good
things that you can do but you’re not
graced for me and my wife we’ve really
wanted to not right now y’all thinking
who y’all having a kid no but we we
really want to adopt one day the
question we’re asking ourselves we
deliver talking last night like are we
graced for it though cuz it’s good to
say all we adopt did it everybody would
applaud but if you’re not grace for it
then you’re outside of God’s will and
anything you go outside of his will to
get you have to stay outside of it to
sustain your I’m doing this thing right
now y’all hear this this is not me I
don’t know who this is I’m just saying
we gotta find our calling like you gotta
fight in here I’ll prove it to you right
now cuz some are you thinkin what it’s
nice to do good things okay just just
wait says this and if you ample this the
amplified version of the same scripture
we just read so he says I’ve learned the
secret of life whether well fed or
hungry whether having abundance or being
a need I can do all things which she has
called me to do see it’s what you got
you got to read your Bible you got to
dig into the Word of God when you when
you amplify and you look into the
context of that scripture he says I can
do all things which he has called me to
do what does that mean that means God
will only grace you for his calling on
your life
he’s not gonna grace you for someone
else is calling for the good things you
could do when you get to heaven God
won’t ask you what could you do he will
ask you what did I call you to do and I
just your contentment can be found when
you find your specific unique spot in
the body of Christ and maybe you’re in
content right now or you’re not happy
with your situation or it’s hard for you
to experience joy because you’re doing
everything instead of living out your
calling and some of you I promise you
would find more contentment if you would
accept your calling we’ve made the word
calling this word that either you’re on
stage or you’re in Africa saving the
world and that’s the only calling from
God there are people this room were
called to be parents like you’re called
to raise children that transform and
change
the world someone had to raise Jesus but
we want to downplay certain callings and
act like things are better than others
some of you are called to be in the
business world you’re called to start
businesses to to make it in fun mission
things by making money and being
generous you’re called to that and if
you would get in your calling you would
find your contentment but some of us we
don’t want to accept our calling because
it’s not their calling because people
don’t like it on Instagram because I
can’t I can’t tweet my calling when the
baby throws up nobody wants to hear
about that but if you would just accept
your calling if you’d accept because
what you don’t understand is there’s
something that God wants to do in the
world and you’re the only person he can
do it through but you have a part to
play whether you accept it or not you
you there are people waiting on you to
step into what God has called you to do
and I promise you it’s not going to
always be easy but you will be content
Paul’s life was not easy his journey was
not easy but somehow he could stand in
jail and say I thank you for the money
and the food but I would have been okay
if you never sent me anything because I
found contentment in my calling what
what would that be like if we could just
be content regardless we didn’t have to
have a certain amount of money in our
bank account we didn’t have to be on a
certain stage or accomplish a certain
thing but we could find peace and
contentment in our life now I know some
of you as I’m talking about this you’re
thinking you know what I what what if I
don’t necessarily know my calling or
I’ve thought about my calling or I’ve
went around it or maybe I’ve even
stepped away from it what I encourage
you that as I look at Paul’s life and
how he lived something that was unique
about Paul is Paul sold out to following
Jesus
like he he didn’t do it halfway and
something I think that motivated Paul is
I think Paul I heard someone say always
remember your BC life before Christ
I think Paul remembered that if you
don’t know Paul was saw and his job was
killing Christians I think there was
something in him that he he realized who
God was and what he had done in his life
and for that reason he sold out to
following Jesus I think there’s
something special that happens when you
sell out to something some of you have
sold out to the Dallas Cowboys and they
necessarily haven’t kept their end of
the deal
but for some reason every year this is
our year we’re gonna be like y’all
haven’t won in 30 years but somehow
every year is your year I love you jesus
loves you sorry her faith is unshaken
but like when you sell out it starts to
shape your perspective it starts to
shape the decisions you make I believe
Paul found strength and found
contentment because he had sold out to
following Jesus I really believe that
you could find the joy the fulfillment
the grace all the things you’re looking
for it would be found when you sell out
to following Jesus Paul wrote four books
of the Bible from jail now this wasn’t
some celebrity jail that was like this
is just a nice little condo with a gate
on the friend he’s in jail back in that
time the sewage systems ran through the
jail so he’s sitting in jail writing the
words that were reading today and
somehow he’s content
somehow the he’s found something that’s
unshakable somehow there’s there’s
something in him that regardless of
what’s going on he’s okay
I believe Paul’s secret was that he has
sold out and when you sell out Jesus
becomes real I think for some of us it’s
just a book we read about or someone we
throw our prayers up to but I think
Jesus was real to Paul and because it
was so real to Paul he realized that
that there was more to life than the
moment that he was just in but just
because he was in jail just because
people didn’t necessarily understand but
just because it was hard it didn’t mean
that he wasn’t following God or that it
wasn’t worth it he realized that if he
was in the calling of God he would find
contentment and he had a joy that’s why
Paul was so strong it wasn’t because he
was some superhero and it’s like what
Paul you know he was a part of the
Avengers so I just can’t do that I’m not
that strong no Paul was content God gave
him joy that’s what made him strong and
your strength will be found in your
contentment in Paul’s life he he lived
it in such a way that it was a
reflection reflection of Jesus he talks
about you know what it’s okay if I if I
have to go through hardships I counted a
joy because I’m know I’m becoming more
like Jesus I carry a joy because people
are hearing I carried a joy because it’s
what I’m called to do and what God calls
you to do he’ll grace you for and Paul
knew that and there’s some of you that
need to be reminded that if God called
you to it he will grace you to do it
that I know it’s hard I know you may
feel like you’re in jail right now
but if God called you to it he will get
you through it and he has graced you for
it
your grace to be the parent I know the
kids are listening I know it’s going
hard but you are graced for it
you’re graced to start the business I
know the other ten have failed but
you’re graced for it your grace to get
that degree your grace to step out and
be an example of people your grace for
it and if God graced you for it he will
get you through it my question is who do
we put our trust in who do we who do we
lean on in those moments we have to be
anchored in Christ and sell out to
follow
and the thing is when you do that God
gives you something that’s so priceless
contentment it gives you perspective
Paul heads perspective if we could live
that way I would venture to say that
maybe the things that are such a big
deal right now are the things that are
taking your energy that they would
somehow get into alignment with with
God’s Word and it’s calling on your life
that if we could just find contentment
that that joy that God would produce in
us it would it allow us to start saying
things like Paul said Philippians 1 he
starts off that the book that we’re the
story were just reading it and he says
this for I fully expect and hope that I
will never be ashamed but that I will
continue to be bold for Christ as even
in the past and I trust that my life
will bring honor to Christ whether I
live or die
for to me living means living for Christ
but dying is even better but if I live I
can do more fruitful work for Christ so
really I don’t know which is better I’m
torn between two desires I long to go be
with Christ which would be better for me
but for your sake it’s better that I
continue to live Paul’s having one of
the craziest conversations in
Philippians 1 he’s saying it like this
he says so I have this dilemma because I
know I have a calling God has
transformed my life I was I was in a
lifestyle and he changed me completely
and got me out of that and now it’s my
mission to to preach the Word of God but
when I preach the Word of God they throw
me in jail now I’m not worried about
being in jail because why I’ve learned
to be content I’m content whether I’m in
jail when I have a lot of money no money
where I’m hungry or not hungry I’ve
learned to be content so he says one
part of this dilemma is that I’m in my
calling and I know that when I’m in my
calling people are benefiting from it
like there are people getting saved
experiencing Jesus the world is getting
changed it’s so much different and so
great when I’m
my calling but he has so much
contentment and joy in perspective he
said but there’s another side of the
coin you see I’ve been walking for Jesus
for so long and he’s so real to me and
he’s done so much that there’s this one
part of me that when they threatened to
kill me because I’ve been preaching the
gospel I’m not really that scared I I
have this tension because I I know that
if I’m here people benefit but if I die
it’s actually better because I’m with my
Savior it was like Paul Jesus wasn’t
someone that he read about it was
someone that was real to him and it
became so real but he didn’t even fear
death man what would that be like if we
could live that way if our current
situation didn’t stop us from trusting
who God was if our current hardship
didn’t keep us from from stepping out in
faith and I I want to live like that I
want to be a church like that that says
you know what I found contentment with
where I am I trust that the Bible says
that God says I’m the Alpha and the
Omega the one who is who is to come and
has been what is he saying he said I’ve
been in every moment so because God’s
been in every moment if I trust him I
can know that he sees me right here and
I can trust him with my future that he
can establish contentment in my heart
and because I’m content he can produce a
joy and because I have so much joy I’m
strong but on the other side I want to
have a faith that’s like you know what
even if it doesn’t work out though like
even if I’m doing the right thing but
the other person in the relationship
isn’t acting right
even if my kids don’t come back when I
think they should even if it doesn’t
work out I think I’ll be alright because
I have perspective and this life right
here is not all there is there is a
kingdom that is so much greater than
what you see right now
[Applause]
IIIi just want us to get it because I
believe that if we could get some
perspective that the things that are
dominating your thoughts would seem
small compared to God the things that
keep you up at night the things that
steal your peace the things that steal
your joy they would become a lot smaller
if you put God in his rightful place
listen when you when we get content with
where we are we’ll have more joy and the
more joy we’ll have the stronger will be
what’s amazing about Paul’s life is his
strength is affecting us right now
matter of fact his joy is affecting us
right now I believe Paul’s joy was one
of the most powerful things that was in
his ministry he said Charles what do you
mean well there’s a story in the Bible
where Paul’s in jail again and he’s in
jail and he’s singing in jail you know
what running over his feet and he’s
singing now we don’t know that how long
he was singing or what he was singing
but I believe that Paul he was he was in
there is he with one of his friends
Silas it says they were in there and
they just they just started singing a
song and as they’re singing that song no
doubt people start looking at him like
why didn’t the world is wrong with these
two dudes like we’re worrying Chandler
they’re about to kill us but but Paul he
had a joy that that wasn’t conditional
and what happens is is his joy produced
freedom for other people listen that
when he starts singing it says that
something happened in the body says that
the the prison cells all the doors of
the jail opened up listen I’m telling
you that God has a mission for his
church and it’s that our joy would bring
freedom to our city art his joy would
bring freedom to our friends that our
joy would bring freedom to this nation
but it can’t happen when we’re all so
serious and also worried
our own problems we have to allow God to
produce contentment in our life and then
other people will see our joy and I’ll
think maybe there’s freedom for me maybe
I can make it through this situation if
we could just find Joey says in the
scripture that all of the doors open up
and in the guard who was supposed to be
watching him freaks out and he’s about
to kill himself because he knows that I
let all these prisoners go Paul stops
and he says hey listen we’re all here
it’s okay he says his family gets saved
in that moment listen your your joy is
more powerful than you think your
contentment is more powerful than you
think I really believed that if we could
find contentment if we could just become
okay with with where God has us trusting
that he’s seen everything he knows the
beginning from the end he’s been
thinking about you before you’ve been
thinking about you and I just want to
encourage you this morning that if you
would just become content with where you
are if you would accept the calling that
God has on your life and realize that
you have a unique calling you you have
something specific that no one else can
do your call to to love people you’re
called to take care of people something
at church that we do every years our be
groups belong groups it’s a place where
we say hey we want to create community
for people and and in there we have
different leaders who step up they open
their homes they say hey I’m gonna
commit to to help lead this group all
that means is I’m helping talk with
people and encourage them and and I’ll
meet at my house once a week or I’ll
meet with some people at a coffee shop
some of you be surprised what would
happen if you would step into your
calling some of you are called to to
step up and say you know what I should I
should start creating community for
other people coming coming up in August
our groups are gonna start and you’d be
surprised what would happen when you
start to share your story some of you
you’re called to to start serving here
at the church to be that person that
everybody sees when they walk in and you
shake their hand you greet them you make
them feel well
so you’re calling mayor may not be here
in church but I promise you if you get
in your calling you’d be more content
and don’t be so concerned of everything
you could do or everything that everyone
else is doing but ask God what what is
it that you called me to do what what is
my piece in the pie what is my unique
gifting what is the thing that you
you’ve graced me for because you can get
in that moment that he’s graced you for
word man all I’m saying is there’s one
person who did it and we’re reading
about him right now
I really think that if we could get in
our calling we could become more content
Bible talks about we’re supposed to be
living epistles people could look at our
lives and they wouldn’t say we were
perfect they wouldn’t say we always got
it right but they would say things like
man they’re just they seem to be so
strong they don’t seem to be shaken by
the things that shake everybody else
they seem to to have this joy this
excitement that that isn’t dependent on
anything else and and they’ll start to
say things like hey hey you got time to
talk or go to coffee I’ve noticed that
you know I saw that you you said you’re
going through some hard stuff or I’ve
seen that your your marriage isn’t going
that well or I know you’ve got some some
troubled issues but you seem to just
have this joy in and what is that and
man what an opportunity for us to say
you know what I sold out to following
Jesus I wasn’t perfect I didn’t
I didn’t always get it right that’s
really all the reason I stand up here
I’m not the best I’m not the most
talented I do stupid stuff all the time
I miss God I just sold out my
encouragement to use just sellout to
follow Jesus don’t worry about what
people say don’t worry about trying to
be perfect don’t worry about the
destination version of yourself that
doesn’t mess up that has it all figured
out that person doesn’t exist there’s
only one person who was perfect there’s
only one so stop trying to get yourself
a ride and make sure everything’s okay
before you follow the code of call of
God in your life
realize that God he he didn’t even ask
you to sell out first he said before I
even ask you to do anything I’ll do it
he said for the opportunity that you
might sell out to me I’ll send my son
and not just any son I’ll sing my sin my
only son why because I love you and I
care about you and the opportunity the
mere thought that I could have
relationship with you would cause me to
stop everything and sacrifice my only
son for you
[Applause]
so my heart is that transformation
church will be a church that is known
for not necessarily even being the best
or the coolest or anything like that but
could it be that we would be a church
that’s content with where God has that
whether we grow whether we shrink
whether people know our name whether
they don’t we’re content so you know why
we’re here because God’s graces and my
prayer is and really the truth is the
only way that’s gonna happen for
transformation church is if it happens
in us we proved last week the churches
in this building but we were here we’re
the church you’re the church and when
people look at our lives my heart is
that they would see Jesus