AchievementPursuing Excellence
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding (excelling) in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Introduction: One definition of “Excellence” is “the possession chiefly of good qualities in an unusual degree; surpassing virtue, merit, worth, value”. One definition of the word “excel is “to be outstandingly good or proficient; to do well or better than previous personal achievement.” From a biblical standpoint what does excellence mean? The Greek word for excellence used in the New Testament comes from the word perisseu which means to have in abundance, to increase, to surpass. Biblical excellence is to your best with what God has given you. Excellence does not mean success. Brian Harbour in Rising above the Crowd commented: “Success means being the best. Excellence means being your best. Success, to many, means being better than everyone else. Excellence means being better tomorrow than you were yesterday. Success means exceeding the achievements of other people. Excellence means matching your practice with your potential.” - Leading the Way by Paul Borthwick, Navpress, 1989, Page 64. Booker T. Washington said, “Excellence is to do a common thing is an uncommon way.” To achieve excellence there must be discipline and tenacity of purpose. We are to pursue excellence in our walk, work, and worship.
I. Pursue excellence in your walk
A. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NASB) “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”
B. God hates mediocrity. God told the Laodicean church that their halfhearted, lukewarm lives disgusted Him. (Revelation 3:15) He expects us to live lives that exalt Him.
C. Colossians 1:10 (NASB) “… walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God ;”
D. Those who excel in their walk live by Biblical principles, not by emotion, by peer or familial influence and pressure, nor by personal comfort or self-gratification.
E. 2 John 1:6a “This is love that we walk according to His commandments…”
F. Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
G. We must choose to dismantle the unnecessary things in our lives that hinder our pursuit of an excellent walk in Jesus. We must learn to let go of activities, commitments, relationships, and interests that aren’t producing fruit in our lives.
H. 1 Timothy 6:11 “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness…”
I. Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
II. Pursue Excellence in your work
A. Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
B. "Excellence is taking every assignment seriously for the glory of God." --Kent Crockett
C. Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”
D. "Good enough never is." – Debbi Field, founder, Mrs. Fields Cookies
E. 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding (excelling) in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
F. The following sign was posted in a farm equipment repair shop:"We do three types of jobs--Cheap, Quick, and Good. You can have any two. A good quick job won't be cheap. A good job cheap won't be quick. A cheap job quick won't be good." (Reader's Digest, February 1994, p.127)
G. 1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”
III. Pursue excellence in your worship
A. Christ deserves the very best from us.
B. 2 Chronicles 2:4-5 “Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel. And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods.”
C. Excellence in worship is not optional. The two cannot be separated. Worship without excellence is blasphemy.- copied
D. Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
E. In worship, excellence is offering the very best to God, and striving to become better. It is taking that which we have been given and, with hearts focused on the one who gave everything, and returning the gift to God as an act of worship. It is not about being the best. It is about offering our best.
F. Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished — ‘For I am a great King,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and My name is to be feared among the nations’.”
G. Bill Hybels, founder of Willow Creek Community Church, had this to say about excellence. "Good enough is just not good enough when it comes to honoring God through the Church. In response to his holiness and greatness, in gratitude for his monumental sacrifice for us, our attitude ought to be to pay tribute to him with the best we can offer. Not obsessive perfectionism, but an attitude of excellence that permeates all we do in the Church and in our personal lives. What we do as Christians reflects on the Christ we serve."
H. One of history's greatest musical conductors was Arturo Toscanini. Born in Parma, Italy, in 1867, Toscanini died in his sleep in New York City in 1957. For years he conducted the National Broadcasting Company's Symphony Orchestra in New York City's Carnegie Hall. The last time he conducted there he was eighty-seven years old. Those who played for Toscanini say he was a terrible taskmaster in rehearsals. Often those rehearsals were battlegrounds between the maestro and his orchestra. He could be ruthless in the verbal tortures he heaped upon some unfortunate musician, but at the same time he could be as gently as a grandfather. Once in a rehearsal a member of the orchestra was performing poorly in a solo passage. The white-maned Toscanini rapped his baton for silence. Placing one hand on his hip, he touched the end of his nose with the baton. The orchestra knew from experience that a terrible storm was about to break upon the poor soloist. An ominous silence filled the room as Toscanini called the player by name. Looking kindly at the trembling musician for a few minutes, Toscanini then asked pleasantly, "Tell me, please, when were you born?" When the question was answered, the maestro then asked, "And in what month?" When he learned the month of the man's birth, all wondered what was coming next. "And on what day of the month were you born?" Toscanini queried. Now completely unnerved by Toscanini's gentle inquisition, the poor musician answered, "I think it was a Tuesday, Maestro." Suddenly all of Toscanini's fury was unleashed, and he shouted at the quivering musician, "That was a black day for music!" He then raised his baton in the air, struck the downbeat, and the orchestra began to play as though nothing had happened. In a moment they arrived at the dreaded solo passage where the small mistake had infuriated Toscanini, but this time the soloist played his part without a bobble. Stopping the orchestra, the maestro looked at the white-faced soloist and said: "So! So!" With his hand he threw a kiss to the musician he had verbally crucified and then sweetly said: "So you are not stupid. You can play well. Now I am happy. You are happy. Beethoven is happy!" On another occasion Toscanini was rehearsing his orchestra, and he wanted the piece of music played perfectly. But it was obvious that the orchestra was not giving its best. Laying down his baton, Toscanini said quietly: "Gentlemen, God has told me how he wants this piece of music played and you are hindering God." - J. B. Fowler, {Basic Bible Sermons on Philippians }(Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991) 61-62
I. God has given to us His best; can we give Him less than our best?
