• Our education
• Our political persuasion
• Our gifts
• Our race
• Our opportunities and etc.
However, another thing that distinguishes us from each other are our LIKES AND DISLIKES. Such as:
(1) OUR TASTE FOR FOOD
Illus: Because of the differences we have, when we go into an ice cream parlor they have many different kinds of flavors.
Illus: Speaking of ice cream flavors, let me tell you a true story. A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors:
"This is the second time I have written you, and I don't blame you for not answering me, because I kind of sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of ice cream for dessert after dinner each night. But the kind of ice cream varies, so every night, after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem. You see, every time I buy vanilla ice cream, when I start back from the store my car won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds: 'What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?'"
The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an engineer to check it out anyway. The letter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighborhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn't start. The engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, the man got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start. Now the engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this end he began to take notes: he jotted down all sorts of data, time of day, type of gas used, time to drive back and forth, etc. In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavor. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to find the flavor and get checked out.
Now the question for the engineer was why the car wouldn't start when it took less time. Once time became the problem -- not the vanilla ice cream -- the engineer quickly came up with the answer: vapor lock. It was happening every night, but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapor lock to dissipate.
The moral of the story is: chocolate ice cream cures vapor lock!
It is because of our differences that the Ice Cream companies produce all kinds of flavors.
Also, our differences can be seen in the-
(2) CAR INDUSTRY
For example, the car industry manufactures cars in different colors. I for one am glad they paint cars different colors.
Illus: Can you imagine coming out of Walmart during the Christmas Season and the parking lot is filled with cars and all the cars are white…you never would find your car!
Illus: One lady pulled into a crowded parking lot and rolled down the car windows to make sure her Labrador retriever had fresh air. The dog was stretched out on the back seat, and she wanted to impress upon this dog that she must remain there. She walked to the curb backward, pointing her finger at the car and saying emphatically, "Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay!" The driver of a nearby car gave her a startled look and he said, “Lady, I don't know about you, but I just put my car in park and it stays in place.”
Sometimes even with the many different color cars it is difficult to find our car. For example, we hear people walking around the parking lot talking to themselves, saying, “Where is my car!”
But let me ask you something; "HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT GOD HAS DIFFERENT PREFERENCES THAN WE DO?"
God makes it clear in the scriptures that His way is not OUR WAY. In other words:
• There might be something you like that He does not like.
• There it might be something God likes that you do not like.
However, the Scripture makes it clear that THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT GOD HATES! REALLY?
Look at Proverbs 6:16-19. We read, “These six things doth the LORD HATE: yea, seven are an abomination unto him...” (What are the six things that HE HATES? Listen closely as the Word of God tells us what they are.)
“...A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
If you notice, three of the seven things that God hates have to do with those who sow seeds of, “discord among brethren.”
God says these are things HE HATES!
WHO DOES THINGS THAT GOD HATES?
Those who do not feel they can compete with others in life; they do such things! You will never find a person who is diligently serving the Lord and feels good about him/herself tearing others down -- NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! Why? Because such a person does not feel the need to tear others down.
WHY DO PEOPLE DO THINGS THAT GOD HATES?
Again, if you will examine the life of those who sow “discord among the brethren,” you will discover they feel that in order to compete with others they must bring them down to their level.
Illus: I am sure you all remember Tonya Harding who is a former figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple Axel jump in competition. However, evidently she felt she could not successfully compete with the lovely Nancy Kerrigan and she conspired with three men to try eliminating her by trying to injure her. Her outstanding career ended in disgrace.
But listen, she is not the first and certainly she is not the last to try to do something to hurt someone because she did not feel she could compeit with them.
• POLITICIANS DO IT ALL THE TIME
Illus: Politicians do this all the time. They try to destroy people’s faith in the other candidates by running negative campaign ads against their competition. They feel that if they can destroy their competition they will eliminate them and they can win.
• NATIONS DO IT ALL THE TIME
Illus: For example, America is the most powerful nation on the face of the earth. There are a lot of countries that are jealous of the way God has blessed this nation and they would love to see America collapse as a super power. They will never speak well of America until they get over their jealousy.
There are people who feel inferior to others and they go around SOWING AS MUCH DISCORD AS THEY CAN, TRYING TO BRING OTHERS DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL.
We certainly do not want God to hate the way we live our life, so what must we do each day?
I. SET GODLY GOALS
Matthew 6:33a, says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God….”
Before our feet hit the floor we should be seeking God’s will for our life each day.
Each one of us is given the same amount of hours, minutes, and seconds to live our life each day.
Illus: Our time God gives us each day is like our money; we all decide on how we are going to spend it individually.
To please Him each day we must SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Illus: There is one thing you can say about most hunters. When they plan to go hunting they decide what they are going after. You will hear them say, “I am going...
• Deer hunting.
• Rabbit hunting.
• Quail hunting.
• Coon hunting.
• Dove hunting, etc.
They specify what kind of game they are hunting because they can only carry so much ammunition.
For example, if they are going after rabbits and they shoot at every bird they see, by the time they see a rabbit they will not have any ammunition to shoot the rabbit.
The devil has done a thorough job of getting God’s people to “shoot” at everything that comes along. Then when it comes time for God’s work, they are out of TIME and MONEY.
Too many Christians have gotten sidetracked from their SET GOALS. To please God each day we have to SET GODLY GOALS that He would be pleased with.
But we have to do more than just SET GODLY GOALS, we also have to-
II. PURSUE GODLY GOALS
Look at Matthew 6:33 again, we read, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
God is pleased when we set Godly goals, but the devil knows that once we do this, he has got to get busy doing everything he can to keep us from pursuing those godly goals.
Illus: Many remind me of old farmer Brown who, one day was plowing in his lovely garden. Everything appeared to be lovely as he walked behind his old mule until he saw an old field rat. He stopped his mule, picked up a stick, and began to chase the field rat. At this point the old mule thought farmer Brown had flipped his lid so he began to run. Before farmer Brown could get the mule to stop, he had torn up four acres of garden!
We can do only so much in the twenty-four hours that God gives us. We need to set goals each day of how we are going to use our time and quit chasing field rats.
Many live the one life God has given them each day doing things that do not amount to anything!
Illus: In 1994, during the mid-election, the Republicans came out with a “Contract With America.” They went out and sought ten things that the American people wanted, such as TERM LIMITS, A BALANCED BUDGET, CAMPAIGN FINANCING, WELFARE REFORM, ETC. Everything they contracted to do was what the American people wanted.
Some of the political pundits now say, “It would have been much wiser not to have bitten off so much.” If they had taken four or five of the ten things and concentrated on them it would have been much wiser and much more effective.
It does not matter how old we are, or who we are. We have to have to be SENSIBLE and have REALISTIC GOALS.
The Apostle Paul was a man with ONE GOAL.
Look at Phil. 3:13. He said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this ONE THING I DO, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”
Is it any wonder that the Apostle Paul was so successful?
Can you imagine how effective Christians would be today if their one desire was to wake up each morning SEEKING GOD FIRST and then pursing those GODLY GOALS each day?
Can you imagine how much service to the Lord could be accomplish each day if Christians would wake up and before their feet hit the floor, they would seek God about His preferences for them that day. And once God reveals those plans they would pursue those goals for that day.
He had ONE THING HE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH and he spent the time God gave him trying to achieve that goal.
Conclusion:
I. SET GODLY GOALS
II. PURSUE GODLY GOALS
