Sermon Central
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What Is It Worth To You? Ph. 3: 7-11
Contributed by James Lee on Dec 3, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: We live in a world where the value of something is determined by supply and demand. Most people are oblivious to the true value of something, because our judgment is greatly influenced by some marketing strategy. Adapted from a sermon by Dana Chau.
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We live in a world where the value of something is determined by supply and demand.
Most people are oblivious to the true value of something, because our judgment is greatly influenced by some marketing strategy.
My background is auto repair and after 36 years in the business and watching other owners gouge their customers and have the customer thanking them for it, proved to me that people are not concerned with true value. When I offered the same repair for a fair market value they thought I was short-cutting the job because the other guy was so much higher and they would let the rip-off artist steal their money.
Yesterday [Dec. 2, 2013] I paid $3.13/gal for gas @ Walmart and most of us will complain every time we pull up to the pump.
What if your vehicle ran on
Krispy Kreme coffee: $1.75 20oz cup…100.00$ per gallon
Vicks NyQuil Cold & Flu Cherry Liquid: 6.42$ 8oz bottle…103.00$ per gallon
So the next time you pull up to the gas pump just be thankful your vehicle doesn't run on Nyquil or KrispKreme…
It’s easy to settle for less than the best when our value system has been tampered with.
Most of what we do is usually to avoid a loss or to gain some benefit and this is not necessarily bad.
Jesus said in Mark 8:36 “What good does it do for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?”
Jesus is saying that we should look for the most important and work to gain that…
In Math. 6: 19,20 He tells us not to lay up earthly treasures, things that will rot, or rust or might be stolen…
He said to lay up treasure in Heaven which won’t rot, rust or be stolen from us…
In other words…DON’T SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST
Don’t settle for things that won’t last while neglecting the very best…it’s ok to have stuff…
Boat…street rod…these things will one day be useless…they won’t last…
My relationship with Christ will last throughout all eternity.
Ph. 3: 7-11 gives us three way we can avoid settling for less than the best.
1. Don’t allow the good to rob you of the best: 7-8
Paul says that all the things he thought were gains, turned out to be liabilities to the very best things.
When he compared the accomplishments he made in his life to knowing Jesus Christ, he realized that what he had was good but Jesus was better.
Paul had a pretty good start in life.
Being a Hebrew, Paul was consider to be of the purest of God’s chosen people.
Being a Pharisee, Paul held one of the most respected positions in his culture and time.
His zeal against the Church gave him there reputation of “Defender” of the Jewish faith.
His obedience to the Law made him perfect in the eyes of the Jewish people as well as his own.
YET, when Paul cam face to face with the resurrected Jesus, on the road to Damascus, things changed.
Paul was blinded in order to regain TRUE sight.
He realized that all of the goods things in life were only obstacles to the best thing…a personal relationship with Jesus Christ…
What are some of the “Good” things that could get in the way of the best thing?
Could family be an obstacle to the best thing?
Pastor Dana Chau was talking to a lady about receiving Jesus. She said “You mean that if I ask Jesus Christ into my life, right now, I will go to heaven…but if my family doesn't they will not?”
The pastor simply said “Yes”
The lady’s response just blew me away…“Well I just can’t do that!!”
See she allowed a good thing, her family, to keep her from the best thing…Family, in this case became a liability to her receiving Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, which is the best thing.
How about a career?
How about a reputation?
Remember what Jesus said? “What good does it do to have all these good things and give up the best thing.” What good does it do to gain all this stuff and give up your eternal soul?
The second way to avoid settling for less than the best is to:
2.Humbly Receive that which we can not earn, ourselves: v9
The word, righteousness, as used here means to be in right standing with or to have peace with God.
Paul began to understand that he Law of God was God’s tool to show us our inability to earn that peace or that right standing with God.
Here’s the reality of this…If my pride is not broken by the Law of God and I see my inability to measure up to God’s standard…I will just compare my life to yours.
