I. Introduction
One of the scary things about certain diseases is that you can be infected and not even be aware of the presence of the disease until later in life. On the outside everything seems normal. Daily activities are uninterrupted. Life moves on down the road. However, either age (like 40) or something else triggers the emergence of signs that show up and reveal that something is wrong. Symptoms begin to reveal that there is something going on below the surface of normality. The same thing can happen spiritually. It is possible to be infected with a RTD and at the same time look like and be esteemed as a hero of the faith. However, eventually as pressures increase the facade cracks and indications of a deeper sickness is seen. I want to look at an example of that this morning as we wrap up this series about RTDs.
I want you to join me in Exodus. Moses has arrived on the scene. God's people have been slaves in Egypt for 400 years and they have cried out for a deliverer. The Pharaoh gets word of this and decrees that all male children must be killed. Moses' mother puts him in a basket in the Nile and the Pharaoh's daughter finds him and keeps him while allowing Moses' mother to nurse him. So, Moses grows up in a weird situation. He is a Jew but he isn't with his people. He is educated and trained by the Egyptians but he isn't one of them either. Away from father, mother, family. Finally he takes matters into his own hands and kills an Egyptian that is beating a Jew and the Jews he is trying to protect reject Moses and he runs and hides. The key word there is reject. The rejection that Moses experiences as a child and then as a young adult infects him with a disease and the symptoms of that disease can be seen throughout his entire life - he deals with anger - he strikes a rock he is supposed to speak to and he breaks the commandment tablets when he sees the people sinning by worshipping the golden calf. The anger is just a symptom of the disease. Anger is a secondary issue. You don't get mad first. You get mad second. There is underlying issue that causes anger. Let's see if we can identify the real issue.
Exodus 18:7-9, 13-17
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them. Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.
The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.” Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, sees that Moses is killing himself and the people and so he asks this question, "What are you doing? This is crazy. Moses’ response isn't a one word answer like I am judging for the people but rather he gives a detailed list. The people need me to seek God's will for them. They need me to settle disputes and they need me to teach them what God says. Moses is seeking affirmation! Jethro responds what you are doing is not good. Moses was sick. Moses’ real issue was that, due to his struggle with rejection, he was infected with a Performance Pathogen. He was determined to be good enough, to meet every need, to be the answer!
I think this is a disease that many of us suffer with. It is why we will ignore the most important relationships in our life while we kill ourselves to impress people we don't even like. I think it is why we will purchase items we can't afford just to get looks of jealousy from people we don't even know. I think it is why we fight feelings of inadequacy and secretly long to live someone else's life. It is why we will do things we don't even really want to do if someone will applaud us as we do it.
I just want to make a series of statements about this RTD that I think will help us recognize whether or not we are infected and perhaps us get on the path to being healed/set free from this lethal sickness.
Performance Pathogen causes us to be approval addicted.
Moses needed to be needed by the people. He was desperately seeking acceptance until he was bound by performing for approval. Paul addressed this for us in Galatians when he asks this question,
Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
He makes it clear that you can't really serve Christ if you are trying to please people! I want to say it like this to you.
You can’t seek man's approval and God’s purpose for your life at the same time.
You will remember that God became angry with the Israelites because of their doubt in the wilderness. In fact, God came to the point where He tells Moses He is going to kill all of the people and start over with Moses in the Promised Land. But you also need to remember that Moses pleads with God to spare the people.
One of the indications that we have this disease is that we keep pulling people in that God is trying to pulling out of our life. God wants to remove people but Moses prays no - his need for those he lead out costs him his chance to go in. Moses was so approval addicted that he kept people around that eventually kept him out! They cost him his destiny.
How many of us are more committed to the people we want to like us, be proud of us, cheer for us than we are our destiny? We let their disappointment or their lack of approval keep us from doing what God has told us to do!
You can see this same issue in the New Testament in Peter's life. Remember he stood around a fire on the night Jesus was crucified and so needed to be acceptable that it led to denial. He was so consumed by needing to be needed that he was willing to curse to fit in! What are you willing to do that you normally wouldn't do just to fit?
Are you addicted to approval?
Performance pathogen causes what others think about us to change what we think about us.
On Sunday we think we are more than conquerors, the head and not the tail, an overcomer, a mighty man of valor, or a woman of faith and then when we leave this house we allow what others think change what we think about us. Some of us need to recognize that what other people think matters too much!
Moses' sickness still reveals itself in the same way today. This sickness causes us to mistake busy as a badge of honor. How are you? Busy. Scheduled out. Burning the candle at both ends. We want others to think we are important! But listen, according to Jethro, the achievement is not being booked but rather achievement is being able to stop. Just like Moses our sickness shows up in our accomplishments.
I want to tell you that you will have to reject something to pursue destiny. But if you are sick you will allow someone's disappointment in what you are declining, rejecting, refusing to keep us from doing what needs to be done.
You have to come to grips with the fact that every day you will disappoint someone otherwise you will have to sit in the seat all day and respond to every request. If they are sent by God, then they will never force you to choose between them and your purpose. The diagnosis of Jethro is still right - this is not good!
Let me help you get cured today. Are you ready? You need to learn from Moses' experience and come to grips with this fact . . . you can never, never, ever, ever please people. Remember when Moses led the people out of the bondage they wanted out of and they got thirsty? He provided water. Remember what they did? They complained. They got hungry! So, he brings them manna and remember what they did? They complained. They wanted meat! So, he got them quail. Remember what they did? They complained. You can never please people. You can never do enough for people who are trying to keep you sick with performance pathogen.
How will I know who those people are? They will only remember the one time you say no!
The cure is that you have to embrace this truth on your own you are inadequate. However, because you are now in Christ you are enough without any additional performance or work!
