I see FAT people.
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
A. This morning I would like to speak to you about goals. I know that when you saw the title of the sermon you probably thought I was going to teach on gluttony or something but what I want to share with you is the importance of setting the right goals in life. I am not going to speak so much about what exactly is the right goal but I want us to take a very brief look at the building blocks we need to have in place to be capable of setting the right goals.
B. Consider the importance of having a goal for these people.
Columbus To prove the world was round
Pilgrims To settle in a new world
Revolutionaries To declare freedom from tyranny
Union One united nation w/o slavery
Allied Powers Liberation from Nazism
NFL Super bowl
Major League baseball World Series
Ricky Nurse
Jonda Teacher
Scott wants to know what he is doing
C. It is important for us to have something we are shooting for. I like the song that says “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”
14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14
D. Sometimes it can be a real challenge to meet our goals. Sometimes our goals seem to be impossible but if we ever want to reach them we have got to press on. The devil would like nothing more than to see you fail. God has provided a way for you to succeed.
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
E. In pursuing our goals we need to make sure we after the things God is after in our lives. We need to be sure that we are on HIS page and not hoping he is on ours. A lot of people act as if God is a Well-Fare check. I have heard people, as have you, say they were called to be wealthy or powerful. I have my doubts about that. God’s goals in our lives will build up His kingdom, not our own. The major side effect of pursuing the goals of God is that our lives will be blessed in the process.
F. I have often heard of people trying to reach their goals by their own power. God’s power is like a jet engine whereas our power, by comparison, is struggling to be a bottle rocket, at best.
3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Galatians 3:3
G. We need to be certain that our goals are God’s goals for our lives and, furthermore, that we are trying to reach those goals with the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
H. In order to build a car you need to have a car garage. It wouldn’t do well to try to build a car in an ice cream shop. The proper equipment isn’t in place for success. If we want to build a person following God’s goals than we need to provide the proper workshop to bring about that result.
I. This is why I am convinced that God likes and desires us to be FAT. God wants FAT people. Fat People are Faithful, Available and Teachable.
Faithful
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 7:9
A. We must serve God faithfully. Sometimes it can be difficult to serve what is unseen. We who are in the faith business occasionally find ourselves even trying to figure out if it is all worth it. The fact is we must remain faithful. Some days it feels like I can only give God 10% before I find myself exhausted. God will take that 10% if that is what I have to offer. He will use that faithfulness to show me Himself so that I can again give him 100%
B. God is not a revolving door that you can just enter when you want something. If you want a truly happy and successful life then you are going to have to sale out. That goes against everything we have come to understand in our Western, post modern culture but it is true. God wants us to be faithful to Him, even when it seems impossible to do. He will reward this effort.
Available
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple [a] of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ’Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
11 And the LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, [b] and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ’The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ "
15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son."
Samuel answered, "Here I am."
17 "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."
19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
1 Samuel 3
A. God needs us to be available to him. So often we leave God at the church door when we leave and then wonder why we aren’t being blessed or why we feel so alone throughout the week. The fact is God needs us to be available to Him. Did you know that God still calls people to the ministry. Some people are blessed to be called to this thing we call “vocational ministry” but the fact is all of us have been called to be ministers of His Gospel.
B. I have decided that ministry is much like walking. Walking is nothing more than controlled falling. With each step I take I would fall flat on my face except for the saving power of the foot I threw out to catch me. Ministry is the same way. As with many things in life it is controlled failure. (How’s that for optimism.) I have often heard people say they don’t want to do anything at church because they are afraid they will fail. Being afraid of failing is fearing the inevitable. You may as well fear breathing, you will do it. I would think it much wiser to fail in the care and direction of my Heavenly Father than to fall outside His will for my life. Are you available for him to use?
Teachable
10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."
11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
Exodus 4:10-12
A. God will teach us how to do the things we need to do if we will allow him.
In closing I just want to leave you with one question. Are you FAT?
That means, are you Faithful, are you available, are you teachable?
IF so then I pray God will use you.
