SELFLESS
week 4 Grateful In The Grind
Pastor Timothy Porter
Text:
INTRODUCTION:
We're actually in part four of a message series called Selfless. If you weren't here in previous weeks, we actually talked
?week number one, about being bold in spirit.
?Week number two, we talked about being faithful in service.
?Last week, we talked about being extravagant in generosity.
Today, I want to talk about a phrase that may sound a bit odd to you at first, but I think it might actually sink in.
We're gonna talk about being ? "Grateful In The Grind. "
? Let me introduce this idea to you, and I'm guessing that a lot of you may be able to relate on one level or another.
For so much of my life, I've lived under the illusion that there's something around the corner, something out there that's coming that really really matters and it matters more than what I'm doing right now.
There's something around the corner that's going to make the difference. It's that thing that I desire, it's the event that I'm looking for, it's that whatever that something that's gonna bring meaning and fulfillment and give me that significant moment that I've been looking for.
It's not here. It's somewhere out there.
I'll give you an example of kinda how the story has played out in my life, and I can almost guess for sure that many of you have a similar version of your own story.
?Let's talk about the category of ministry for me.
It started at CHBC........ I was so so so so so excited I was in ministry and I was in seminary full time and commuting and dying, because it was so hard. In my mind, I consistently said, when I get out of seminary, then real life is going to start.
Then when I got out of seminary, I had another when-then, and my new one was well, when I get my first church and get to do things my own way, then life is gonna be really amazing.
Then we started TBC and my next one was when I get a staff member, somebody else that can help, someone else that cares, then it'll be amazing.
Then it was, when we get out of this dumpy little building and get into a real building that we could meet in seven days a week, then it's gonna be amazing.
? Take the category of family.
?When I finally meet the girl that I'm gonna marry, then life is gonna start. Then I meet Abby.
?When we finally get married. [Oh dear God, thank You, Jesus, hallelujah, thank You, Lord], then. Life is going to start.
?When we are able to add to our family, that's when our family is gonna be amazing.
?When our first baby gets out of diapers. Then it's gonna be incredible. Now they're growing up.
?When they're in college and we have. When they're out of college, we'll eat again.
You know, all these different things.
When, then, and I found myself whatever season I was in, wishing the current season away, waiting for the next one to come. One day, just around the corner. They'll be that something, that achievement, that accomplishment, that friendship, that possession, that vacation. They'll be that something that fills the emptiness on the inside.
But, around every corner, there was just another challenge. Another goal, another vision, another dream, or another perceived prize.
I've lived long enough now to look back and see a real weakness in my own life. And what I've noticed is for so much of my life, I've been pursuing what I want. My dreams, my passions, my goals, and whatever it is that I get, there's gotta be something else out there that's better than what I have right now.
What does culture do? Culture totally and completely feeds into this mindset, right? What does every commercial, every advertisement, everything you see on social media, it all just kinda says gratify yourself, indulge yourself, get whatever you want. You deserve it. Treat yo self, right?
The problem is, Jesus said, if you want to follow Me, you don't treat yo self, but He said, you deny yo self.
That's what He said. He said, if you want to be My disciple, you don't indulge yourself. You deny yourself. Then He said, you take up your cross, a metaphor, a picture to say, you're actually dying to your own fleshly desires so you can live by My Spirit and then He said, then you follow Me.
You don't treat yo self. Jesus said, you deny yourself. There's a verse that I want to use kind of as an anchor verse for our message today.
It's from the Apostle Paul and we're gonna talk a lot about the Apostle Paul today.
He says this in 1 Corinthians 10:31 , Let's all say that aloud.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT2) 31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
What did he say? He said, do it all for the glory of God. Whatever you do.
>Whether you're doing laundry
>you're picking up your kids from their events
>you're running errands for your boss
>you're doing something that isn't that big of a deal
Whatever you do, you do it for the glory of God.
When I look at so much of my life, if I'm really honest, whatever I do is mostly for me. I want to do what makes me happy. I want to do what makes me feel good. I want to do what fulfills my dreams. I want to do what fulfills wants and desires. I want to do what I want to do. I want to gratify myself.
But, Jesus says that you deny yourself.
Whatever you do, to really have meaning in life, you do it for the glory of God.
So, here's what I'm beginning to recognize.
That the prize isn't out there, somewhere. The prize isn't what you accomplish occasionally.
The prize is in what you do daily when you do it for the glory of God.
Let me say this again, because I really want it to sink in.
>The prize isn't what you accomplish occasionally.
>I got the raise
>I got the thing.
>The prize isn't what you accomplish occasionally.
>The prize is in what you do daily when you do it for the glory of God.
So I want to ask three questions and I'll tell you in advance that these questions are gonna become statements that are gonna drive everything that we talk about today.
What if, what if, what if, what if what if the work is the reward?
What if the prize is in the process?
What if you can be grateful in the grind?
What if, whatever you do you can find meaning and fulfillment and divine satisfaction when you do it all for the glory of God?
I want to show you a text that, it's very personal to me by again the Apostle Paul. 1 Corinthians 15:9 This is what Paul says. He's kinda being transparent and maybe a little bit vulnerable.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (NKJV) 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
- He said but by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. But, this is my story, by the grace of God, I am what I am, because His grace to me was not without effect.
For many of you, that's your story. You weren't good, you weren't faithful, you weren't always righteous, but by the grace of God, you are now what you are not because you're good, but because He was good.
Now you are becoming who He wants you to be, because His grace for you was not without effect.
The sad thing is there are some of you that are here today that His grace has been without effect, because it hasn't yet touched your heart. You haven't yet been changed by it, and the good news is, you are in the right place at the right time to be available to the work of God, and maybe your story might become a but, by the grace of God, I am now who I am.
We still have work to do. Because whatever I'm doing I'm doing it for the glory of God. I don't know how this would apply to you but if you're changing diapers, you're making sales calls, you're doing laundry, you're doing something for your boss. You just say, in this moment, at this time, even though it may not be incredibly important from the outside, I'm doing it with integrity, with the purity of heart, with the heart of a servant, and I'm declaring that this task is now for the glory of God.
When you live this way, suddenly you wake up when you start to realize wow, maybe the work is the reward. Maybe the prize is in the process. And in everyday life, when you're grinding it out, doing just normal things, you can say, I can be grateful. I can be grateful in the middle of the grind.
I want to do is show you what I call three enemies of the true reward. Unfortunately some of you will know these enemies as I do.
THE THREE ENEMIES OF THE TRUE REWARD
• 1.) The Pillow
The seduction of comfort. Better house—Car—Trip—Boss—Enough $ to take life easy.
God never called us to “easy”— He Called us to deny self—Take up or cross.
And yet the pillow cries out, the seduction of comfort
Easy never changed the world.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 2.) The Shiny Thing
There's also the distraction of what I call the shiny thing.
The allure of constant distractions. (Important)
Notifications—Netflix suggestions (99%)—YouTube keeps running. Overscheduled (3 years old), Comparing—Grass greener!
The shiny thing. The allure of constant distractions.
You know what's important but bing, notification. Oh my gosh, I wonder what she posted on Facebook.
Netflix, it just keeps on running and the next show is recommended 99% chance that I'm going to like it. This must be God's will.
We overprogram our kids, because we're so distracted. We gotta have little Jimmy Ray in the elite traveling baseball league if he's gonna get a scholarship for the NCAA, because, I know he's only three, but he's gotta, you know, we really got to get him involved in this.
The shiny thing. It's the carrot and the donkey continues to chase the carrot and you never ever seem to find real satisfaction because you've been fooled by the shiny thing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• 3.) The Towel
The perpetual temptation to quit. Marriage—Getting finances together, Xianity.
?They didn’t appreciate me.
?Not making that much of a difference.
?This is just too hard. You can throw in the towel—Use it wipe the sweat off your face.
Then, there is the enemy called the towel. The perpetual temptation to quit, to throw in the towel.
?When the marriage gets difficult, I'm not in love anymore, this isn't worth it. Throw in the towel.
Trying to get our finances together, trying to get out of debt.
Oh my gosh, it just broke. Here's another bill.
Charge it, let's go out to eat and let's go shop for a new dress. You know, throw in the towel.
?Christianity, I can't tell you how many times I've heard some version of this. Well, I tried God. I went to church twice. You know, I read my Bible for a day. You know, and they were mean. I didn't like it, I couldn't get a parking place, so forget it, I'm just out of here. I'm throwing in the towel.
You know how it is.
They didn't appreciate me. I'm not making that much of a difference. This is just too hard. Throw in the towel.
?Listen to me!!!! You can throw in the towel or you can pick up the towel and wipe the sweat off your brow and get back in the daily grind. Of doing whatever you do in this moment for the glory of God.
Then suddenly you realize,
?The work is the reward.
?The prize is in the process.
And I can be grateful every single day in the grind.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prize isn’t when you get the promotion. New Car. Vacation. Get discovered. Make the big bucks
—Prize is now! Whatever you do!
Life isn’t about me—I deny myself daily—Follower of Christ.
?Bold in Spirit—Speak boldly believe deeply.
?Faithful in Service—Serving isn’t what I do—Servant.
?Extravagant in generosity—Give—Don’t hold back—Lead way. Daily—Life for you.
Work is the reward.
The prize is in the process.
Grateful in the grind.
