It's All Better At The Beach
Pastor Timothy Porter
Text:
INTRODUCTION:
You know how it is when we are on vacation espically at the beach. We are on island time, and we're only worried about what Jimmy Buffet would do b/c it's 5 o'clock somewhere.
You say things like " I ain't had a day off now in over a year My vacation's gonna start right here. If the phone is for me you can tell 'em I just sailed away"
On vacation by the beach we wake up pretty much stress free… No Alarm clocks... No Crazy Agenda's... No voice mails... No Emails...
No worries... Just do what you want to do when you want to do it.
You wake up to the sound of the waves rolling in and the ocean breeze gently blowing. You eat good and delicate seafood and enjoy fruity frozen sensations. You go and do things like - shop, shows, amusment rides, build sand castles and play at the arcade All b/c you are at the beach.
The one thing you do that you don't even realize is you clear your mind and when your mind is clear you can search and clear your heart.
God's word talks about this and this is what I want to talk about this morning. I want to talk about it's better at the beach DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY and how if we will clear our minds and live everyday like we are at the Beach, we can pretty much live stress free and be refreshed and hear a fresh word from the Lord.
*READ/PRAY*
Jeremiah is now looking back upon the past. He had predicted the judgment that came upon Jerusalem, and Jeremiah sits in the rubble and ruin of Jerusalem weeping as he writes this lamentation. Lamentation; the passionate expression of grief or sorrow, weeping.
Have you ever noticed when you are at the beach you get up and start your day off the correct way? The same goes in our everyday life. Just like we are at the beach we are to
I.] Start Our Day Right So We Can Finish Right
The text says that His tender mercies begin fresh every morning and that His compassions never fail.
Every morning, at the beginning of our day, God says that he will be our strength and defense all day long.
What does this mean. well, it means we need to Develop the habit of living grateful. Learn to celebrate the little things in life like lemonade and tomato sandwiches…being able to go to the beach.
Colossians 3:15 (NLT2) 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
How we start our day determines the kind of day that we have. - We always say everyday is a good day at the beach. That's b/c we get up with a clear mind open to what the day holds not looking for drama.
Choose Joy, Happiness, Wake Up Smiling, Begin Thankful Make a conscious effort to deal with the more strenuous stuff later in the day.
What ever you do start right so you can finish right and don't give the devil a seat at your table!
II.] Uniquely Be You
Have you ever noticed a sea shell? They are all unique
Every Seashell has it’s own story Some are beautiful, Some are broken, some are hidden…Each one serves it’s own purpose Each one testifies of God’s intricate design and attention to detail
God created you to be “Uniquely You.”
One of the greatest struggles in many peoples lives is the struggle to accept and embrace the person God made them to be. You need to stop discrediting yourself for everything you feel you aren't , and start being that person.
I know it may sound crazy, but I am a promoter of of being your own best friend! If you are not you may fall in the trap of being your own worst enemy.
"If you are waiting on someone to make you happy, it's the surest way to be sad"
We know it's right to love God and Love People but we forget to love ourselves (if we don't love ourself no one else will)
Jesus said "love your neighbor as yourself" Only after we embrace ourselves are we able to be more loving and caring towards others .
Reset you mind by focusing on Jesus an the rest He can only bring.
When we are looking to be something other than what God created us to be we are dishonoring God’s creation…
Look at your neighbor and Say, “I am who God says I am… I can have what God says I can have… I can be what God says I can be… I can do what God says I can do…”
Be A Beach Bumb
1 Samuel 16:7 (ETRV) 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Eliab is tall and handsome, but don't judge by things like that. God doesn't look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the LORD looks at the heart. Eliab is not the right man."
You see When we are at the beach our hair gets messed up, we keep it pulled back or a cap on, our clothes get sand in them and wrinkled, we sweat and generally just kinda let ourselves go. Even shoes are optional…it's flip-flops, crocs or bare foot. We don't care. We are just foot loos and fancy free.
It's been said "A simple life is good with me. I don't need a whole lot. For me, a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, barefoot on a beach and I'm happy."
I understand needing to have things together but it’s ok to let the laundry pile up every now and then! A couple of dirty dishes in the sink occasionally doesn't mean you’re a bad housekeeper ! (Just Don’t be a slob…)
Just Chill… We try to hard to impress…
Dating… People go places they can’t afford to impress people with a lifestyle they can’t afford…
People live in houses they can’t afford to impress people who are trying to impress them by living in a house “they” can’t afford. They drive cars they can’t afford, take vacations they cant afford…
Play in the sand and just chill - Why b/c the treasure chest in buried in the sand. Don't spend your money on things that can be stolen and mothes eat it up the bible says store up treasures in Heaven.
Sift through sand and remove all the junk so you can have clean sand to play with. - Sometimes we have to look on purpose in order to see the good in our lives. Especially in times of casualty, grief and pain…
"Until you find healing for your wounds and insecurties you will always be toxic or a burden to every person you come in contact with." - Pastor Tim
Some people can only see the rain but there’s a rainbow somewhere…There are great treasures along the seashore… Some are hidden under the sand, water and seaweed.
I encourage you to sift through life’s clutter and find the interaction of God in your life…
III.] Live Life Strategically
There is so much to be learned from the beach. God wants us to be effective. This means living life strategically.
Riding Waves - When you ride a wave you have to be stragetic. (Adjusting to the “motion of God” in our lives)
Romans 8:6 KJV - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Matthew 16:24 KJV - Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
3 things create waves
1. Undercurrents (movement that we cannot see with the naked eye - expound - sickness, sudden death, divorce, loos of job, depression, anxiety) undercurrents cas cause sever damage like pulling you out to sea and before you know it you are out to far and can not see land and are in need of a life guard.
2. Wind (movement that we cannot see but many times hear - expound - Gossip, lies, drama. infidelity[affairs])
The wind is sometimes blows in our favor and other time aganist us. Both can be benifical if we allow them too.
We are like kites on the beach, when the image is one of the holy spirit shaping, directing, instructing and otherwise affecting our lives.
The wind not only create waves in our lives, it causes hurricanes and tornados!
3. Man made objects (boats, smart phones, tablets, social media, drugs, alcohol, porn, obsessions )
We can’t stop a wave… we have to adjust to it
Some of us need to quit fighting God concerning His direction and purpose for our lives! (life is not about fighting the wind it’s about adjusting our sails)
Flowing with God brings supernatural favor and a sense of peace to our lives. (His ways are not our ways…)
Riding waves take practice
Waves will carry you… God will carry you
It takes boldness to ride your first wave... Why? B/c waves destroy and eat away at what ever is in there way.
When you work hard on the beach all day building a sand castle. No matter what you do.. no matter how deep dig , how wide a mote or ditch you dig the waves come and no matter how big a wall of sand you build behing the mote or ditch the waves come and eat away at the the sand eventually getting to the beautiful sand castle and destroying it.
I watched this happen on the beach as the tide was coming in. The spirt of God began to speak to me and I said that's just like life.
We spend all this time building houses, business, bank accounts, just to have it destroyed by the waves of life. When we need to be focued on building the kingdom, ourselves, familes and our churches!
* I need you to understand one thing today! When the waves of life come and destroy your sand castle it is not a set back; it's a set up! God is setting you up for a break through; success; anytime there is a breat through there is a shift and when you have a shift, wind, undercurrent, and waves you have the perfect storm and it is a set from heaven for you. So, if you are going through hell keep going the sorm will pass!
Maybe people has walked out or rejected you in the past, don't worry about b/c it dosen't mean God didn't want them in your life, it means He didn't have room for them in your future,
Stop delaying your calling by entertaing your flesh!
Ride the wave with Him He knows what He is doing! Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT2) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Sometime's the people we run with causes storms and hold us back from what God has for us.
Pray the Lord will burn every bridge in your life that leads to destruction!
That's why we have to build stregiticaly and how we build and make sure we use not just sand but quality material and build on a firm foundation [the word of God]
STOP BUILDING SAND CASTLES AND START BUILDING LIGHT HOUSES!
Psalm 43:3-4 (ETRV) 3 Send your light and your truth to guide me, to lead me to your holy mountain, to your home.
4 I want to go to God's altar, to the God who makes me so very happy. God, my God, I want to play my harp and sing praises to you.
CLOSING:
Then Hang A Hammock
Don't loose out snooze a little... God didn't just create us for all work - He created us for rest! When we rest we connect with the one who made us b/c He rested.
STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED IN CHARLESTON
Matthew 11:28-30 ESV Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Prepare for rest… remove distractions ¥ turn off your phone ¥ no kind of social media ¥ let the emails go for a few hours ¥ go somewhere where you won’t be disturbed and just rest. It recharges your soul, helps you hear from the Lord.
This is how we overcome ! This is one of the shifts it takes to have breakthrough!
Sitting on the beach, soaking up the sun reminds me that we need more personal time in our lives.
Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that l am God. We all need time of reflection and time to unwind and unplug.
Most of us overestimate how much control we have, and underestimate how much choice we have.
The truth is this: You never really have control - but you always have a choice.
Make the choice today to stay committed and give your control to God. He can handle your situation much better than you can
