The Idol of Comparison: Finding True Success in Christ

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:00] Come on, let's sing this together.
[00:01:30] Let's sing this together.

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Let's sing this together.
[00:02:30] Let's sing this together.
[00:03:00] Let's sing this together.

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Let's sing this together.

[00:04:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Let's sing this together.
[00:04:30] Let's sing this together.
[00:05:00] Let's sing this together.
[00:05:30] Let's sing this together.
[00:06:00] Let's sing this together.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Let's sing this together.
[00:07:00] Let's sing this together.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Let's sing this together.

[00:07:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Let's keep going.
[00:07:59] Let's sing this together.
[00:08:30] Hold it, hold it.
[00:09:00] Hold it, hold it.

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Hold it, hold it.
[00:10:00] Hold it, hold it.
[00:10:30] Hold it, hold it.
[00:11:00] Hold it, hold it.

[00:11:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Hold it, hold it.
[00:12:00] Hold it, hold it.
[00:12:30] Hold it, hold it.
[00:13:00] Hold it, hold it.
[00:13:30] Hold it, hold it.
[00:14:00] Hold it, hold it.
[00:14:30] Hold it, hold it.
[00:15:00] Hold it, hold it.
[00:15:30] moment, our Heavenly Father invites us to come and worship Him.
[00:15:39] And so would you now stand with me as we say this call to worship together?
[00:15:46] It comes from Psalm 46.
[00:15:49] God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.
[00:15:56] Therefore, we will not fear.
[00:15:58] Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its
[00:16:04] waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging, there is a river whose

[00:16:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

[00:16:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
He says, be still and know that I am God.
[00:16:24] I will be exalted among the nations.
[00:16:26] I will be exalted.
[00:16:28] I will be exalted in the earth.
[00:16:29] The Lord Almighty is with us.
[00:16:33] The God of Jacob is our fortress.
[00:16:36] Father, as we come into this place, we pray that your spirit would move.
[00:16:41] We pray that you would open our ears to hear, our hearts to receive, open our eyes to see
[00:16:47] you today.
[00:16:49] Lord, we pray this in Jesus' name.
[00:16:51] Amen.
[00:16:52] Stand with us as we sing.

[00:16:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
In Christ alone, my hope is found.
[00:17:12] He is my heart, my strength, my song.
[00:17:17] This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest cloud.
[00:17:27] And so,
[00:17:28] what heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are still, when strivings cease.
[00:17:40] My comforter, my all in all, here in the love of Christ I stand.
[00:17:58] In Christ alone, who took on flesh, fullness of God in heaven's name.
[00:18:11] His gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones he came to save.
[00:18:22] Till on that cross, as Jesus died.
[00:18:28] The wrath of God was satisfied, till every sin on him was laid.
[00:18:40] Here in the death of Christ I live.
[00:18:53] There in the ground, his body laid.
[00:18:58] Light of the world, like darkness slain.
[00:19:04] Then bursting forth in glorious day.
[00:19:10] Up from the grave, he rose again.
[00:19:16] And as he set in victory.
[00:19:21] Sin's curse has lost its grip on me.
[00:19:27] And as he set in victory.
[00:19:27] Sin's curse has lost its grip on me.
[00:19:27] And as he set in victory.
[00:19:27] Sin's curse has lost its grip on me.
[00:19:28] For I am His, and He is mine.
[00:19:33] Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
[00:19:47] No guilt in life, no fear in death.
[00:19:53] This is the power of Christ in me.
[00:19:58] From life's first cry to final breath.
[00:20:05] Jesus commands my destiny.
[00:20:10] No power of hell, no scheme of man.
[00:20:16] Can ever drive me from His hand.
[00:20:21] Till He returns.
[00:20:24] Or calls me home.
[00:20:28] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:20:33] No power of hell, no scheme of man.
[00:20:39] Can ever drive me from His hand.
[00:20:44] Till He returns.
[00:20:47] Or calls me home.
[00:20:50] Here in the power of Christ.
[00:20:53] No power of hell, no scheme of man.
[00:20:54] Can ever drive me from His hand.
[00:20:55] Till He returns.
[00:20:56] Or calls me home.
[00:20:57] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:20:58] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:20:59] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:00] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:01] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:02] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:03] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:04] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:05] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:06] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:07] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:08] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:09] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:10] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:11] Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
[00:21:12] The head of the world
[00:21:28] You set down into darkness
[00:21:33] Open my eyes, let me see
[00:21:38] Beauty that made this heart adore you
[00:21:47] Hope of a life spent with you
[00:21:53] Here I am to worship
[00:22:00] Here I am to bow down
[00:22:04] Here I am to say that
[00:22:08] Your word is my life
[00:22:08] Oh, my God, you're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me.
[00:22:25] Oh, my God, you're altogether lovely, altogether wonderful to me.
[00:22:55] So here I am, here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you're my God.
[00:23:13] You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me.
[00:23:25] Here I am, here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you're my God.
[00:23:42] You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me.
[00:23:55] Oh, my God, you're altogether lovely, altogether wonderful to me.
[00:24:06] Oh, I never know how much it costs to see my sin.
[00:24:24] Oh, my God.
[00:24:25] Upon that cost, I never know how much it costs to see my sin.
[00:24:39] Upon that cost, I never know how much it costs to see my sin.
[00:24:53] Upon that cost.
[00:24:55] And I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:25:05] Oh, here I am, so here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you're my God.
[00:25:23] Oh, my God.
[00:25:25] You're my God, you're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me.
[00:25:43] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:25:59] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:26:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:26:43] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:27:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:27:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:27:43] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:28:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:28:43] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.
[00:29:13] Lord, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.

[00:29:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
We thank you, Lord, that you invite us into your presence once again.
[00:29:22] That we can come before you with hands raised or heads bowed.
[00:29:30] And that we can know through Christ that you receive us and welcome us.
[00:29:38] Lord, it's our heart's desire to worship you.
[00:29:44] But Father, we also must admit that there have been times this week where we've failed to do that.
[00:29:53] And as we enter this space and we see your holiness, as we stand next to people proclaiming your glory,
[00:30:03] we also come confessing our sins.
[00:30:07] And so in this moment, I want to invite us all to take a moment silently
[00:30:12] to confess our sins.
[00:30:14] Let's take a moment to confess our sins before the Lord.
[00:30:14] Amen.
[00:30:42] Amen.
[00:30:43] Amen.
[00:30:43] Amen.
[00:30:43] Amen.
[00:30:43] Amen.
[00:30:43] join with me in praying this prayer?
[00:30:47] Lord, you showed us true humility
[00:30:49] by becoming one of us.
[00:30:52] Lord, you showed us
[00:30:53] true humility
[00:30:55] by becoming one of us.
[00:31:04] You cried alongside
[00:31:05] your friends and for the
[00:31:07] city of Jerusalem.
[00:31:13] You loved those who are weak,
[00:31:21] despised, or cast
[00:31:22] out.
[00:31:23] Too often, we love
[00:31:26] those who are strong,
[00:31:28] respected, or popular.
[00:31:30] You freely forgave
[00:31:32] and healed.
[00:31:34] Yet too often,
[00:31:35] we hold grudges
[00:31:37] and cause pain.
[00:31:39] You lived a perfectly
[00:31:41] holy life.
[00:31:42] Yet too often,
[00:31:44] we do not yearn for righteousness.
[00:31:48] You prayed
[00:31:49] that we who believe in you
[00:31:50] should be united with each other
[00:31:53] and you.
[00:31:55] Yet too often,
[00:31:56] we focus on the differences
[00:31:58] that separate us from other
[00:32:01] believers.
[00:32:02] You were
[00:32:03] mocked, whipped,
[00:32:06] and even killed for us.
[00:32:08] Yet too often,
[00:32:10] we deny you.
[00:32:12] You call us to be the salt
[00:32:13] of the earth and the light
[00:32:15] of the world.
[00:32:17] Yet too often,
[00:32:18] we blend into or hide
[00:32:20] from our culture.
[00:32:23] Forgive us, Lord,
[00:32:25] so that we will shine
[00:32:26] with your glory.
[00:32:29] Amen.
[00:32:30] Amen.
[00:32:31] Well, as we pray that prayer,
[00:32:34] we're reminded of God's
[00:32:36] promises in Psalm 103
[00:32:37] where it says,
[00:32:38] The Lord is merciful and gracious,
[00:32:40] slow to anger
[00:32:43] and abounding in steadfast love.
[00:32:46] As a father has mercy
[00:32:47] on his children,
[00:32:49] so the Lord's compassion
[00:32:51] is for those who fear him.
[00:32:53] For he knows how we were made.
[00:32:56] He remembers that we're dust,
[00:32:58] but the steadfast love
[00:33:00] of the Lord is from everlasting
[00:33:01] to everlasting for those
[00:33:03] who fear him.
[00:33:05] And his righteousness
[00:33:06] to their children's children,
[00:33:08] to those who keep his covenant
[00:33:10] and remember him,
[00:33:10] to those who remember
[00:33:11] his commandments.
[00:33:13] Those who repent
[00:33:14] and look to Jesus for salvation,
[00:33:17] we are promised
[00:33:18] that our sins are forgiven.
[00:33:19] In the name of the Father
[00:33:20] and the Son
[00:33:20] and the Holy Spirit.
[00:33:22] Amen.
[00:33:24] Well, as we respond
[00:33:25] to God's mercy this morning,
[00:33:27] I want to invite our ushers
[00:33:28] to come up
[00:33:29] to collect our offering.
[00:33:30] You can also throw
[00:33:31] your prayer cards in there
[00:33:33] as well during this time.
[00:33:35] I want to also encourage you,
[00:33:37] if you're a visitor,
[00:33:38] please don't feel
[00:33:38] like you have to give.
[00:33:39] We're so glad
[00:33:40] that you're here with us today.
[00:33:42] But if you know the Lord
[00:33:44] and this is your church home,
[00:33:46] God invites you to give
[00:33:47] and to give joyfully.
[00:33:51] This week, after the service,
[00:33:54] we are having a special event
[00:33:56] at my house
[00:33:56] that I wanted to let you
[00:33:58] all know about.
[00:33:59] I sent an email about it this week,
[00:34:01] but each year
[00:34:02] over Martin Luther King weekend,
[00:34:04] we invite friends to come over
[00:34:07] and read through
[00:34:08] Dr. King's letter,
[00:34:10] from Birmingham Jail.
[00:34:12] And we've probably done this
[00:34:14] for 10 years now.
[00:34:15] And every year,
[00:34:15] it's a wonderful experience
[00:34:17] reading it with a different group
[00:34:19] of people and hearing
[00:34:20] how it impacts them.
[00:34:23] I have another slide up there
[00:34:24] with a quote.
[00:34:26] Do you have it?
[00:34:26] Yeah.
[00:34:27] This is one of the quotes
[00:34:28] from the letter,
[00:34:29] if you've never read it.
[00:34:29] It says,
[00:34:31] the early Christians rejoiced
[00:34:32] when they were deemed worthy
[00:34:35] to suffer for what they believed.
[00:34:38] In those days,
[00:34:38] the church was not
[00:34:40] merely a thermometer
[00:34:41] that recorded the ideas
[00:34:43] and principles
[00:34:44] or popular opinion.
[00:34:46] It was a thermostat
[00:34:47] that transformed
[00:34:49] the mores of society.
[00:34:52] This letter,
[00:34:53] if you've never read it before,
[00:34:54] offers challenge
[00:34:56] and inspiration for us,
[00:34:58] even in today's world.
[00:35:00] And I would love it
[00:35:01] if you would join us.
[00:35:03] Go grab some lunch
[00:35:04] after service.
[00:35:05] Drive over to our house.
[00:35:06] We live just off
[00:35:07] Williamson Road.
[00:35:08] If you don't know
[00:35:08] the exact address,
[00:35:10] we'll be happy
[00:35:10] to share it with you.
[00:35:12] And then afterwards,
[00:35:13] you're welcome to hang out
[00:35:14] with us for a while.
[00:35:15] I'll be watching
[00:35:16] the football game.
[00:35:18] And as long as
[00:35:19] you're not rooting
[00:35:20] against the Patriots,
[00:35:21] you're welcome to stay.
[00:35:26] Seriously, though,
[00:35:27] you know, our church,
[00:35:28] our vision is that
[00:35:29] we're making room
[00:35:29] for everyone
[00:35:30] to experience
[00:35:32] joyful,
[00:35:33] life-transforming
[00:35:34] connection to Jesus.
[00:35:36] And I hope as we
[00:35:36] read this letter
[00:35:37] together today,
[00:35:39] it'll give us
[00:35:40] a vision for what
[00:35:41] that really looks like
[00:35:42] practically in our church.
[00:35:46] Now, I want to invite you
[00:35:48] to continue worshiping
[00:35:49] and stand with us
[00:35:51] as we sing.
[00:35:51] piano plays softly
[00:35:57] piano plays softly

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Old things have passed
[00:36:08] piano plays softly
[00:36:09] away
[00:36:12] Your love has stayed
[00:36:15] But to say
[00:36:18] Your constant grace
[00:36:22] Will cleanse the cornerstone
[00:36:27] Things that we thought
[00:36:33] were dead
[00:36:36] Are bleeding in white
[00:36:38] piano plays softly
[00:36:39] You've woken
[00:36:42] You've caused your son
[00:36:45] To shine in the darkest night
[00:36:51] For all that you've done
[00:36:55] You will pour out
[00:36:57] All of this will be
[00:37:00] Forever the song
[00:37:03] Jesus, we love you
[00:37:08] piano plays softly
[00:37:09] piano plays softly
[00:37:09] piano plays softly
[00:37:09] Oh, how we love you
[00:37:15] You are the one and all
[00:37:20] Our hearts adore
[00:37:24] piano plays softly
[00:37:28] The whole place have found
[00:37:31] their home
[00:37:33] The orphans now have
[00:37:37] a home
[00:37:38] piano plays softly
[00:37:38] All that was lost
[00:37:43] Has found its place in you
[00:37:48] piano plays softly
[00:37:52] You lift our weary head
[00:37:57] You make us strong instead
[00:38:02] piano plays softly
[00:38:04] You took these rags in
[00:38:08] piano plays softly
[00:38:08] You gave us hope
[00:38:16] You gave us hope
[00:38:16] You gave us hope
[00:38:17] You gave us strength
[00:38:17] You are the fire
[00:38:17] You gave us pride
[00:38:17] You gave us strength
[00:38:18] You bring us what we desire
[00:38:18] You have to hold on
[00:38:19] You are our朋友
[00:38:19] You came to us
[00:38:19] Israel
[00:38:20] Israel
[00:38:20] Israel
[00:38:21] Israel
[00:38:26] Bible
[00:38:27] Bible
[00:38:28] Bible
[00:38:32] Bible
[00:38:33] Bible
[00:38:34] Bible
[00:38:35] Bible
[00:38:37] Song..
[00:38:38] You are the one and all, our hearts adore, oh how we adore you, Jesus, Jesus, we love you, oh how we love, oh how we love you.
[00:38:59] You are the one and all, our hearts adore, oh how we adore you, Jesus, we love you, Jesus, we love you.
[00:39:29] You are the one and all, our hearts adore, oh how we adore you, Jesus, we love you, Jesus, we love you.
[00:39:59] Oh how we adore you, Jesus, you're the one we came here for, oh how we adore you, Jesus, we love you, Jesus, we love you.
[00:39:59] Our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus, our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:40:20] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:40:32] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:40:44] Our affection, our devotion.
[00:40:50] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:40:56] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:41:08] We love you.
[00:41:12] Oh how we love you.
[00:41:18] You are the one and all.
[00:41:24] Our hearts adore.
[00:41:30] Oh Jesus we love you.
[00:41:36] Oh how we love you.
[00:41:42] You are the one and all.
[00:41:48] Our hearts adore.
[00:41:54] Our hearts adore.
[00:42:00] Our hearts adore.
[00:42:06] Our hearts adore.
[00:42:12] Our affection.
[00:42:16] Our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:42:22] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:42:26] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:42:28] We love you.
[00:42:30] Oh how we love you.
[00:42:32] You are the one and all.
[00:42:34] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:42:36] We love you.
[00:42:38] You are the one and all.
[00:42:40] Our affection, our devotion poured out on the feet of Jesus.
[00:42:42] We love you.
[00:42:44] Oh, how we love you.
[00:42:50] You are the one.
[00:42:53] Hearts adore you, Jesus.
[00:43:07] Hearts adore you.
[00:43:14] Hearts adore you.
[00:43:20] Hearts adore you.
[00:43:27] Hearts adore you.

[00:43:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Well, as we've received Christ's love
[00:43:50] and professed our love for him,
[00:43:52] we're reminded that we have peace with God.
[00:43:54] And I want to invite you now to extend the peace of Christ
[00:43:58] to your neighbors and our kids.
[00:44:00] You are dismissed for Children's Church.
[00:44:02] You can head out this door with your leaders.
[00:44:14] Thank you.
[00:44:44] Thank you.
[00:45:14] You'll make your way back to your seats
[00:45:24] and join me as we sing the doxology together.
[00:45:28] Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
[00:45:39] Praise him, all creatures,

[00:45:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
here we go.
[00:45:47] Praise him, all ye heavenly hosts.
[00:45:55] Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
[00:46:04] Amen.
[00:46:05] Amen.

[00:46:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Our scripture passage this morning
[00:46:12] is,
[00:46:12] is selections from
[00:46:14] 1 Samuel chapters 18 and 19.
[00:46:19] It says,
[00:46:21] Whatever mission Saul sent him on,
[00:46:24] David was so successful
[00:46:25] that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.
[00:46:28] This pleased all the troops
[00:46:30] and Saul's officers as well.
[00:46:32] When the men were returning home
[00:46:34] after David had killed the Philistine,
[00:46:36] the women came out
[00:46:37] from all the towns of Israel
[00:46:39] to meet King Saul
[00:46:40] with singing and dancing,
[00:46:41] with joyful songs,
[00:46:42] and timbrels and lyres.
[00:46:45] As they danced, they sang,
[00:46:47] Saul has slain his thousands,
[00:46:49] and David his tens of thousands.
[00:46:52] Saul was very angry.
[00:46:54] This refrain displeased him greatly.
[00:46:57] They've credited David with tens of thousands,
[00:46:59] he thought, but me with only thousands.
[00:47:02] What more can he get but the kingdom?
[00:47:05] And from that time on,
[00:47:06] Saul kept a close eye on David.
[00:47:09] The next day, an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul.
[00:47:12] He was prophesying in his house
[00:47:15] while David was playing the lyre,
[00:47:16] as he usually did.
[00:47:18] Saul had a spear in his hand,
[00:47:20] and he hurled it, saying to himself,
[00:47:22] I'll pin David to the wall.
[00:47:24] But David eluded him twice.
[00:47:27] Saul was afraid of David
[00:47:28] because the Lord was with David,
[00:47:30] but had departed from Saul.
[00:47:33] So he sent David away from him
[00:47:34] and gave him command over a thousand men.
[00:47:37] And David led the troops in their campaigns.
[00:47:40] And everything he did, he had great success
[00:47:42] because the Lord was with him.
[00:47:44] When Saul saw how successful he was,
[00:47:46] he was afraid of him because all Israel and Judah
[00:47:49] loved David because he led them in their campaigns.
[00:47:53] Now Saul's daughter, Michal, was in love with David.
[00:47:57] And when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.
[00:48:00] I will give her to him, he thought,
[00:48:03] so that she may be a snare to him,
[00:48:05] and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.
[00:48:08] So Saul said to David,
[00:48:10] now you have a second opportunity to become my son,
[00:48:12] the son-in-law.
[00:48:13] Then Saul ordered his attendants,
[00:48:16] speak to David privately and say,
[00:48:18] look, the king likes you and his attendants all love you.
[00:48:21] Now become his son-in-law.
[00:48:24] They repeated these words to David,
[00:48:26] but David said, do you think it's a small matter
[00:48:29] to become the king's son-in-law?
[00:48:31] I'm only a poor man and little known.
[00:48:34] When David's servants told him what Saul had said,
[00:48:37] Saul replied, say to David,
[00:48:40] the king wants no other price for the bride
[00:48:42] than a hundred Philistine foreskins
[00:48:45] to take revenge on his enemies.
[00:48:47] Saul's plan was to have David fall
[00:48:49] by the hand of the Philistines.
[00:48:51] When the attendants told David these things,
[00:48:53] he was pleased to become the king's son-in-law.
[00:48:56] So before the allotted time elapsed,
[00:48:58] David took his men with him and went out
[00:49:00] and killed 200 Philistines and brought back their foreskins.
[00:49:05] They counted out the full number to the king
[00:49:07] so that David might become the king's son-in-law.
[00:49:09] And then Saul gave his daughter, Michal, to him, and Saul said,
[00:49:10] David, you are the king's son-in-law.
[00:49:11] And David gave Michal to him in marriage.
[00:49:14] Then Saul realized that the Lord was with David
[00:49:16] and that his daughter, Michal, loved David.
[00:49:19] Saul became still more afraid of him
[00:49:22] and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.
[00:49:25] The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle
[00:49:28] and as often as they did, David met with more success
[00:49:32] than the rest of Saul's officers
[00:49:34] and his name became well known.
[00:49:36] Saul told his son, Jonathan,
[00:49:38] and all the attendants to kill David.
[00:49:41] But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David.
[00:49:45] Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath.
[00:49:48] As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.
[00:49:52] And so Jonathan called David
[00:49:54] and told him the whole conversation.
[00:49:56] He brought him to Saul and David was with Saul as before.
[00:50:01] Once more, war broke out and David went out
[00:50:04] and he fought the Philistines.
[00:50:05] He struck them with such force that they fled before him.
[00:50:09] But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul, as before.
[00:50:09] But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as before.
[00:50:10] But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as before.
[00:50:11] But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as before.
[00:50:11] But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as before.
[00:50:12] But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting
[00:50:12] in his house with his spear in hand.
[00:50:14] While David was playing the lyre,
[00:50:16] Saul tried to pin the wall with his spear.
[00:50:20] But David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall.
[00:50:24] And that night David made good his escape.
[00:50:29] All flesh is like grass and all its beauty
[00:50:32] like the flower of the field.
[00:50:35] The grass withers, the flower fades,
[00:50:39] but the word of our God will stand by us.
[00:50:40] But the word of our God will stand by us.
[00:50:41] forever. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and for the truth that it teaches us. We
[00:50:47] pray now, God, that you would break into our moment, break through to our day, so that we
[00:50:53] could see exactly what you have for us in these words. Father, we pray that you would draw us
[00:50:59] close, that you would show us Jesus, and that everything that's not from you would fall away.
[00:51:04] We pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Okay, well, this week we are getting back into it. We are
[00:51:12] resuming our study on 1 Samuel, and over the next several weeks, as we start to focus more on the
[00:51:19] life of David, this man who is called a man after God's own heart, we have a chance to consider how
[00:51:28] knowing God can deeply change the way we view ourselves, and the way we view God.
[00:51:34] We view our lives. And I want to start today with this question. What is your vision of success in
[00:51:46] life? How would you complete this sentence? My life will be a success when? Last week, I was
[00:51:56] asked a similar question with a group of pastors, and one of the pastors responded,
[00:52:04] do you want the right answer, or do you want the real answer? Meaning, he said, do you want to hear
[00:52:10] what we know we're supposed to say, or do you want me to tell you what I actually think most of the
[00:52:16] time? See, in chapter 18 and 19, what we just read, we see this contrast between Saul, the first king
[00:52:25] of Israel, as he's wrestling with his sense of failure and inadequacy, and then we see David,
[00:52:32] the future king, as he is beginning to think about the future, and he's beginning to think about the
[00:52:34] to get his first taste of real success. And as we look at their stories, as we see these
[00:52:42] two men today, we have a chance to consider for ourselves the question, what is it that I
[00:52:47] really value? What do I believe success looks like? What do I think will make my life complete
[00:52:56] and full? And also, when I answer that question, is that question based on God's word,
[00:53:05] what he has said, or am I focusing more on what others have around me that I think I also need?
[00:53:13] And so today, we're going to unpack this whole thing under three headings. We're going to look
[00:53:17] at the trap of envy, the path out of envy, and then the surprising,
[00:53:26] secret of contentment. So let's start here with the trap of envy. Again, we're picking back up.
[00:53:34] We're in chapter 18. This is right after David and Goliath, the story of that great battle where
[00:53:42] this young shepherd came and he killed this mighty Philistine warrior. And immediately,
[00:53:48] what we read, it told us right after the battle, David continues to have a lot of success.
[00:53:56] And so Saul rewards him. He gives him this high-ranking position in the army. And on paper,
[00:54:02] all of a sudden, it looks like things, well, they should be great, right? Saul is king. His nation
[00:54:10] is strong. They've finally gotten the upper hand against their biggest enemy, the Philistines.
[00:54:17] And now he's got this capable, young leader who is respected by the troops, and he just keeps
[00:54:23] multiplying their victories.
[00:54:26] Victory after victory. It's great, right? Well, that's not how Saul sees it.
[00:54:34] Instead, Saul is almost immediately overcome with jealousy. He cannot handle David's popularity and
[00:54:44] his success. The people are out there, and they're singing, Saul has slain his thousands,
[00:54:50] and David has slain his tens of thousands. And it says that Saul is immediately,
[00:54:56] filled with anger. They've credited David with tens of thousands, but me with only thousands.
[00:55:03] What more is there than for him to have the whole kingdom? He's angry, and he is afraid. And then
[00:55:11] the key phrase comes out. It says, from that time on, Saul kept a close eye on David.
[00:55:22] Saul wasn't simply keeping track of David.
[00:55:26] Saul's gaze was fixed on him. David's success became a consuming obsession. It affected the
[00:55:39] way Saul viewed everything else that was going on in his life. It was the only thing that he could
[00:55:46] see. Saul was consumed with envy. Now, envy is an incredibly destructive force.
[00:55:56] In our lives. Proverbs 14, it says, a heart at peace gives life to the body,
[00:56:05] but envy rots the bones.
[00:56:11] Envy, of course, isn't unique to this story, right? I know when you read something in scripture,
[00:56:16] maybe it seems like a very, something that happened long ago, a rare case, a literary moment. But no,
[00:56:24] this is something we all struggle with. This is something we all struggle with. This is something we all struggle with.
[00:56:26] This is something we all struggle with. Every person in this room knows the experience of looking over at someone else's life and desiring what they have, whether it was the popularity of that star athlete in school, or maybe the happiness of another couple's marriage, the respect that is given to some admired leader.
[00:56:56] The power and the freedom of somebody who's very wealthy, the accolades, the influence,
[00:57:03] the success of a peer that maybe is more advanced than you in your career.
[00:57:10] It is so easy to let our envy of someone else's life start to shape the way we feel about our own,
[00:57:19] isn't it? Scripture, it shows us right here, it is an ancient problem. It's nothing new.
[00:57:26] but I think maybe it's getting worse.
[00:57:31] I think in the society we live in,
[00:57:33] the culture that we are a part of,
[00:57:36] this epidemic of envy is only growing.
[00:57:41] In fact, there's a social psychologist named Jonathan Haidt
[00:57:44] who suggests that's exactly what's happening.
[00:57:48] He says that in our world of social media,
[00:57:50] this problem has gotten worse than ever.
[00:57:53] However, he says social media is a fountain of social comparison.
[00:58:01] And social comparison is one of the most reliable ways
[00:58:05] to make yourself unhappy.
[00:58:08] It gives us a 24-7 window into the lives of the most successful
[00:58:13] and beautiful people on earth,
[00:58:16] and it creates a relentless engine of envy in our lives.
[00:58:23] I really like that term that he uses, this engine of envy.
[00:58:30] Because it kind of gets to the root of this idea
[00:58:34] that envy becomes a driver
[00:58:37] for all other kinds of destruction in our lives.
[00:58:43] You see it in Saul's story, right?
[00:58:45] In Saul's life, the envy became a driver towards anger,
[00:58:51] towards depression.
[00:58:53] Towards fear, and eventually, even attempted murder.
[00:59:00] And every one of us, I think, we've experienced some of this.
[00:59:04] This engine of envy, and when it starts to rev up in our lives,
[00:59:09] it always produces a couple of different results.
[00:59:13] The first thing that envy does in our lives is that it robs us of joy.
[00:59:19] On one hand, envy, it makes us,
[00:59:23] incapable of enjoying the good things that we have.
[00:59:27] It makes it hard for us to appreciate
[00:59:30] what is actually positive in our own lives.
[00:59:33] And then, on the other hand,
[00:59:34] as we look at those people we envy,
[00:59:37] it makes it impossible for us to rejoice in their success.
[00:59:43] Think about it, right?
[00:59:44] In this story that we just read,
[00:59:46] David was Saul's man, wasn't he?
[00:59:50] Yeah, Samuel had anointed David, we read all that stuff,
[00:59:53] but David was Saul, who had the great idea to put him forward, right?
[00:59:58] He is the one that discovered this shepherd boy,
[01:00:01] and sent him out into the battlefield.
[01:00:03] He's the one that put him on the public stage.
[01:00:07] You know, if Saul was Dr. Dre, then David was Eminem, right?
[01:00:14] He discovered him.
[01:00:17] He could have taken the credit.
[01:00:19] He could have been excited for this guy's success.
[01:00:22] He should have been.
[01:00:23] He should have been thrilled with his popularity.
[01:00:27] But instead, he could only see it as an insult and a threat.
[01:00:34] So envy, it robs us of our joy,
[01:00:37] our ability to perceive our own lives,
[01:00:40] our ability to rejoice in the lives of others.
[01:00:43] But it's not simply that Saul could not rejoice in David's success,
[01:00:50] but he became bitter.
[01:00:52] That's the second thing that,
[01:00:53] envy does, it fuels bitterness in our lives.
[01:00:57] It makes us desire the failure of others around us.
[01:01:02] And so, we read it in the story, right?
[01:01:04] In verse 13 and verse 25, there's these instances
[01:01:07] where Saul starts to intentionally try to harm David.
[01:01:11] He puts him out in these military situations
[01:01:14] where he's actually rooting for David to die.
[01:01:18] He's rooting for him to lose.
[01:01:20] He's rooting against his own army,
[01:01:22] because he wants to see David fail.
[01:01:26] Have you ever been in that place before?
[01:01:29] Where you're actively rooting against someone else?
[01:01:33] I have.
[01:01:35] I know, I think about it.
[01:01:37] There have been times in my ministry
[01:01:39] where I have been so envious
[01:01:43] of the seeming success of other pastors in other churches.
[01:01:49] Churches that maybe were larger,
[01:01:51] or more influential.
[01:01:53] Churches that had bigger budgets,
[01:01:55] and could do more things.
[01:01:56] And I would look at their websites,
[01:01:59] or their social media things,
[01:02:00] and I would just sit there and think,
[01:02:03] well, they must be compromising somewhere, you know?
[01:02:07] They must be just telling these people
[01:02:09] what they want to hear.
[01:02:12] And then, if I ever heard rumors
[01:02:14] about misdealings behind the scenes,
[01:02:16] or potential misbehavior,
[01:02:21] it would make me happy.
[01:02:24] I liked hearing about their failure.
[01:02:28] And folks, that's sick.
[01:02:32] Paul says for God's people,
[01:02:34] that's not how it's supposed to be, right?
[01:02:37] He says in the church, if one part suffers,
[01:02:40] then every part suffers with it.
[01:02:43] And if one part is honored,
[01:02:45] then every part rejoices with it.
[01:02:49] But see, that's what envy does to our souls.
[01:02:50] But see, that's what envy does to our souls.
[01:02:51] It flips everything on its head.
[01:02:54] And you find yourself in this position
[01:02:56] where when one suffers, you rejoice.
[01:03:01] And when one is honored, you suffer.
[01:03:06] And when I look back on those moments in my life,
[01:03:11] I just recognize that, you know,
[01:03:13] who was there with me in those feelings?
[01:03:16] Whose perspective was that that I had?
[01:03:17] Is it not just like the perspective of Satan?
[01:03:21] Is it not just like the perspective of Satan?
[01:03:21] Right?
[01:03:22] Is he not, he's the only other one sitting there with me,
[01:03:27] rejoicing in people's misery
[01:03:30] and angry when they succeed.
[01:03:35] This is why envy is a dangerous engine.
[01:03:41] It might seem like a small thing.
[01:03:43] I would imagine for most of us,
[01:03:45] when we go through our lists of things to confess,
[01:03:48] we probably aren't starting with envy.
[01:03:51] It might not be something we're even aware of
[01:03:53] in our own lives.
[01:03:56] But it is driving all kinds of destruction within us.
[01:04:02] And just like Saul did with David,
[01:04:07] if we are setting our eyes on someone else's life
[01:04:12] and what they have, the only way we can do that
[01:04:16] is if we first take our eyes off of God.
[01:04:18] is if we first take our eyes off of God.
[01:04:19] is if we first take our eyes off of God.
[01:04:20] That's the trap.
[01:04:22] That's the trap of envy.
[01:04:24] And so we need to talk about, how do we get out of it?
[01:04:29] What is the pathway out of this thing
[01:04:32] that is so common in the world?
[01:04:35] Okay, let's go back to that opening prompt.
[01:04:39] I will be a success when?
[01:04:43] Knowing that envy is such a huge problem in the world,
[01:04:45] how do we fill in that blank?
[01:04:49] How do we answer the question, how do we answer the question,
[01:04:50] How do we answer the question, how do we answer the question,
[01:04:50] that prompt, with something that doesn't flow out of envy?
[01:04:53] that prompt, with something that doesn't flow out of envy?
[01:04:55] That doesn't just let the achievements of somebody else
[01:05:00] start to control and define our own goals for our lives?
[01:05:07] I'll be a success when?
[01:05:10] Or maybe this is a good question.
[01:05:12] What do we do if we fail to reach those goals?
[01:05:17] What do we do when our life turns out different than we'd hoped it would be?
[01:05:25] When our reality is a little less glamorous than we'd expected?
[01:05:30] When things are more difficult than we wanted?
[01:05:36] Jeremiah Burroughs was a Puritan pastor back in the 1600s.
[01:05:44] And he wrote a book called The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.
[01:05:51] And one of the things that he says in this book is that the only way we will ever be able to cope with success or failure
[01:06:00] is by getting a right view of ourselves before God.
[01:06:06] Here's a quote. He says,
[01:06:08] A man who is little in his own eyes
[01:06:14] can count every affliction as little and every mercy as great.
[01:06:18] Consider Saul.
[01:06:20] There was a time, the scripture says, when he was little in his own eyes.
[01:06:25] And his afflictions were little to him.
[01:06:27] At that time, when people spoke against him and did not want him to be king,
[01:06:32] he held his peace.
[01:06:34] But later, Saul began to be big in his own eyes.
[01:06:38] And then the affliction began to be great.
[01:06:44] And then the affliction began to be great.
[01:06:46] I love that thought. He says,
[01:06:47] A person who is little in their own eyes
[01:06:50] will account every affliction as little
[01:06:54] and every mercy as great.
[01:06:58] And that rings true. Think about David in this passage.
[01:07:03] David was a humble man.
[01:07:05] In spite of these victories that he'd recently won,
[01:07:08] in spite of the crowds cheering for him,
[01:07:11] all the accolades, all the popularity,
[01:07:13] all the support,
[01:07:16] we find that when Saul came to David and he says,
[01:07:20] I want you to join my family.
[01:07:22] I want you to marry into the royal family.
[01:07:24] I want to give you my daughter in marriage.
[01:07:27] David didn't respond like, about time.
[01:07:32] He didn't say, of course.
[01:07:33] Well, that's the logical next step in my career,
[01:07:36] joining the royal family.
[01:07:37] I assumed you would ask.
[01:07:39] No, no. He says, who am I?
[01:07:43] And what is my family?
[01:07:44] What is my clan in all of Israel
[01:07:46] that I should become the king's son-in-law?
[01:07:50] He says, I'm only a poor man and little known.
[01:07:56] Now, I want to pause here, actually, for just a second,
[01:07:59] because before we get too much into this idea of being little,
[01:08:06] I want to be careful,
[01:08:08] because I know sometimes this theology,
[01:08:10] it can sound different,
[01:08:13] than what it actually means, right?
[01:08:15] It can come across when I say,
[01:08:17] you need to be little in your own eyes.
[01:08:18] You might be hearing something like,
[01:08:20] you are all a bunch of worthless scum, right?
[01:08:24] You are tiny.
[01:08:26] You don't deserve anything from God.
[01:08:29] You're a bunch of miserable sinners,
[01:08:31] and you better not forget it.
[01:08:34] You better grovel before him
[01:08:36] if you really want anything good to happen in your life,
[01:08:39] because you're small.
[01:08:41] But that's not what I'm saying.
[01:08:43] In fact, that's not a biblical perspective at all.
[01:08:47] If you've been in a church
[01:08:48] that has decided to influence your behavior that way,
[01:08:53] trying to make you feel like you are less
[01:08:56] than you are in God's eyes,
[01:08:57] that actually isn't helpful.
[01:09:01] This doesn't mean we need to start thinking of ourselves
[01:09:03] as miserable worms.
[01:09:07] But to become little in your own eyes
[01:09:09] actually means that God needs to become big.
[01:09:13] It means that you need to stop thinking about yourself at all
[01:09:19] and start thinking about the greatness of your God.
[01:09:25] To see the vastness of his love and his mercy
[01:09:30] and his infinite goodness
[01:09:33] that surpasses everything in the universe.
[01:09:38] It's not about obsessing over your own weakness and failures,
[01:09:42] but it is actually,
[01:09:43] learning to see God as your true source of strength in life.
[01:09:51] It's to start to realize that God,
[01:09:54] if he really is who he says he is,
[01:09:57] if he really is all that great,
[01:10:00] then it means he is enough for you
[01:10:02] regardless of your circumstances,
[01:10:05] regardless of your successes or failures.
[01:10:08] He is more than enough.
[01:10:09] He's more than all you need.
[01:10:11] It's to discover,
[01:10:13] how knowing God
[01:10:15] and living in relationship with him
[01:10:18] day after day
[01:10:19] is actually more satisfying
[01:10:22] than all of those other things
[01:10:25] that we desire on this earth.
[01:10:27] Amen?
[01:10:30] See, so much of our struggle with envy,
[01:10:34] so much of our wrestling with this discontentment,
[01:10:37] it comes because we have placed too much value
[01:10:41] on all the wrong things.
[01:10:43] Do people still watch The Price is Right?
[01:10:47] Like, I did.
[01:10:49] Do people know how that show works?
[01:10:50] I think they do, right?
[01:10:51] You know how it goes.
[01:10:52] The people get up,
[01:10:53] they see an item,
[01:10:54] and they bid on the thing,
[01:10:57] and if you bid too high,
[01:10:59] if you overbid,
[01:11:00] you lose, right?
[01:11:02] And so, you watch the show,
[01:11:04] and you get some people,
[01:11:04] and they all throw out these high bids,
[01:11:06] and occasionally you get this one person
[01:11:08] who's smart,
[01:11:09] and they bid $1,
[01:11:10] and they win.
[01:11:12] And because everybody else,
[01:11:15] they put too much value on that thing,
[01:11:17] and they lost.
[01:11:20] See, I think so much of our struggle comes
[01:11:22] because we are habitual overbidders
[01:11:26] when it comes to the things of this world.
[01:11:31] Like Saul, we put so much stock
[01:11:34] in the praise of the crowds
[01:11:37] or the power of the throne.
[01:11:42] In the pursuit of happiness
[01:11:44] and comfort or pleasure or power or romance.
[01:11:49] Whatever it is that we think we need.
[01:11:53] Whatever it is that we see that others have
[01:11:55] and we don't.
[01:11:57] And when we overbid
[01:11:59] on the things of this world,
[01:12:01] then we get sucked
[01:12:03] into this vacuum of envy and despair.
[01:12:08] It happens because our view of the worth of the things,
[01:12:12] in this world,
[01:12:13] is too high.
[01:12:15] And our view of God's worth is too low.
[01:12:20] When we do that,
[01:12:21] it shows we haven't really seen God as He is.
[01:12:25] We haven't seen Him rightly yet.
[01:12:28] We haven't come to grasp,
[01:12:30] like Paul talks about,
[01:12:32] how high and wide and deep
[01:12:35] is the love of Christ.
[01:12:38] You remember that parable of Jesus, right?
[01:12:40] Matthew 13, he says,
[01:12:41] The kingdom of heaven is like treasure in a field.
[01:12:45] And when a man found it,
[01:12:46] he hid it again.
[01:12:47] And then, in his joy,
[01:12:49] he went and sold all he had
[01:12:51] and bought that field.
[01:12:55] Because he knew that it was worth more
[01:12:58] than all this world had to offer.
[01:13:02] Or what about Paul in Philippians?
[01:13:04] Don't you remember?
[01:13:05] He says,
[01:13:06] Whatever was gained to me,
[01:13:08] I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
[01:13:11] And what is more,
[01:13:13] I consider everything a loss
[01:13:14] because of the surpassing worth
[01:13:17] of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord,
[01:13:20] for whose sake I have lost all things.
[01:13:22] I consider them garbage
[01:13:24] that I may gain Christ.
[01:13:29] When it came to the things of the world,
[01:13:31] Paul, he didn't just bid one dollar.
[01:13:33] He bid zero dollars.
[01:13:36] Because he saw what truly mattered.
[01:13:39] He saw the value of the real prize.
[01:13:41] And folks, the only path
[01:13:45] out of this temptation towards envy
[01:13:48] is to discover the surpassing worth of Christ.
[01:13:54] It's to recognize that he has come
[01:13:58] to bring you into a heavenly relationship
[01:14:02] with your good Father who loves you.
[01:14:06] Who created you for something greater
[01:14:09] and more valuable than anything else.
[01:14:11] Something else that you can find in this world.
[01:14:15] And if that's true, then,
[01:14:17] there's some logical implications, too.
[01:14:20] If that's true,
[01:14:21] if he really is worth that much,
[01:14:23] then it means that
[01:14:25] if in this life,
[01:14:27] God doesn't give you
[01:14:28] everything you desire,
[01:14:31] if he doesn't give you everything
[01:14:33] that you think you want,
[01:14:36] well, it's not because he's holding out.
[01:14:39] It's not because he's trying to punish you.
[01:14:41] Or because there's somebody else out there
[01:14:44] that he likes a little better.
[01:14:46] It's such a foolish thing to think, actually.
[01:14:49] Because he gave his life for you.
[01:14:53] What more could he possibly give?
[01:14:58] The path out of envy is to recognize that
[01:15:02] though we probably don't have
[01:15:04] everything we want in this world,
[01:15:07] there is a God who has given all of himself,
[01:15:11] love himself for you.
[01:15:14] And that's all you need.
[01:15:16] It's more than all you need.
[01:15:20] And so, thirdly,
[01:15:22] I want to talk now about contentment.
[01:15:27] The secret to actually getting it.
[01:15:32] We see in this story,
[01:15:34] Saul was a goner, right?
[01:15:36] He let his envy,
[01:15:38] he let his jealousy
[01:15:39] overcome him completely.
[01:15:41] He tried to pin David to the wall.
[01:15:44] He sent him out into battles
[01:15:45] he thought he would surely lose.
[01:15:47] And then in chapter 19,
[01:15:49] his son, Jonathan,
[01:15:51] you know, brokers a peace deal,
[01:15:54] persuades him to let David come back in.
[01:15:56] And Saul agrees,
[01:15:57] but it doesn't last very long.
[01:16:01] There's a really helpful parallel
[01:16:03] in the Hebrew
[01:16:04] that one of our translations brings out.
[01:16:07] I want to show it to you.
[01:16:08] It says,
[01:16:09] once more,
[01:16:10] war broke out
[01:16:12] and David went out
[01:16:14] and fought the Philistines.
[01:16:16] He struck them with such force
[01:16:18] that they fled before him.
[01:16:21] But an evil spirit from the Lord
[01:16:23] came on Saul
[01:16:24] as he was sitting in his house
[01:16:26] with his spear in his hand
[01:16:27] while David was playing the liar.
[01:16:30] And look at this, he says,
[01:16:32] and Saul sought to strike the spear
[01:16:34] through David into the wall.
[01:16:36] But he slipped away from Saul
[01:16:38] and Saul struck David.
[01:16:40] The spear into the wall.
[01:16:42] And then David fled
[01:16:43] and escaped on that night.
[01:16:47] Do you see those links, right?
[01:16:49] David, he's here
[01:16:50] and he's striking the nations.
[01:16:53] He's striking down their enemies
[01:16:55] and making them flee.
[01:16:56] But Saul has become so consumed
[01:17:00] that he is striking David,
[01:17:04] his greatest soldier,
[01:17:07] and making him flee.
[01:17:10] Envy's not rare.
[01:17:15] We've all dealt with it.
[01:17:16] And if it's such a common problem,
[01:17:19] the question is,
[01:17:20] how do we avoid ending up like this?
[01:17:24] What do we do
[01:17:25] so that envy doesn't get the best of us?
[01:17:30] We've all been there, right?
[01:17:32] There is not a person in this room
[01:17:36] who has not lived
[01:17:37] through some great disappointment.
[01:17:40] Some of you,
[01:17:43] I know your stories,
[01:17:44] you have faced some heartbreaking losses.
[01:17:49] Some of you have lived
[01:17:50] with what feels like
[01:17:52] continual frustration.
[01:17:57] Some of you might already be
[01:17:58] really wrestling with anger
[01:18:00] and bitterness.
[01:18:03] Maybe you're even on the edge
[01:18:04] of giving up.
[01:18:08] So what is
[01:18:09] the way,
[01:18:10] what is the way out?
[01:18:11] What is the path to contentment?
[01:18:13] Well, I wanna suggest two really practical things.
[01:18:17] Two concrete things that I think would go a long way
[01:18:23] in breaking the power of envy in our lives
[01:18:26] and showing us how to find contentment in Christ.
[01:18:30] And here they are.
[01:18:31] The first is this.
[01:18:33] You need to be honest
[01:18:36] about what you're really seeking.
[01:18:38] Be honest about what you're really seeking.
[01:18:39] Be honest about what you're really seeking.
[01:18:40] Be honest about what you're really seeking.
[01:18:42] You know, there was a time in my life
[01:18:43] when I would have absolutely finished that sentence,
[01:18:47] I will be a success
[01:18:49] when my church grows large
[01:18:52] and we have lots of people and a big budget.
[01:18:55] When I can have a big influence in the world.
[01:18:59] And I lived for that.
[01:19:02] And it was exhausting.
[01:19:06] There were times when I was bitter.
[01:19:08] I was always anxious.
[01:19:10] I was willing to give my life
[01:19:11] because I believed those things out there
[01:19:13] that I didn't have were what I needed to be fulfilled.
[01:19:18] And here's what Burroughs says about that kind of living.
[01:19:24] He says, many people think
[01:19:27] that when they are troubled and discontent,
[01:19:29] it's because they don't have enough in the world
[01:19:32] and they think that if they had more,
[01:19:36] then they would be content.
[01:19:38] but he says when we think like that,
[01:19:42] we're actually like a hungry person
[01:19:44] going around trying to fill their stomach
[01:19:47] by swallowing the wind,
[01:19:49] and then when it doesn't work,
[01:19:51] and when we're still hungry,
[01:19:53] we think, well, it's because
[01:19:54] I haven't swallowed enough wind yet,
[01:19:58] and so we keep on trying to swallow
[01:20:01] more and more of this thing
[01:20:02] that can't possibly fill us.
[01:20:05] He says the wind can never satisfy
[01:20:07] the craving of an empty stomach,
[01:20:10] and neither can all the comforts in the world
[01:20:13] satisfy your soul,
[01:20:15] but the first step to getting free from that
[01:20:21] is by naming the wind.
[01:20:25] It's about being honest.
[01:20:26] What are you really seeking?
[01:20:29] What is it that you have been trying to use
[01:20:32] to fill up your life?
[01:20:36] You need to admit it.
[01:20:38] And you need to confess it before God.
[01:20:42] And then, after we're honest
[01:20:46] about what we're really seeking,
[01:20:49] we need to turn,
[01:20:52] and we need to walk down this upside-down
[01:20:55] and backwards road to satisfaction.
[01:20:58] And here's what I mean when I say
[01:21:01] the upside-down road to satisfaction.
[01:21:03] You see, the gospel,
[01:21:06] in the gospel,
[01:21:07] Jesus invites us to an abundant life.
[01:21:10] He famously said it, right?
[01:21:11] I have come that you would have life
[01:21:13] and that you would have it to the full,
[01:21:16] that you would have it abundantly.
[01:21:20] But that abundance that he talks about,
[01:21:24] it is a totally different way
[01:21:27] of living in and viewing this world we're a part of.
[01:21:32] He says that the way to true satisfaction
[01:21:35] actually has nothing to do with the way we live.
[01:21:36] He says that the way to true satisfaction
[01:21:37] has nothing to do with filling yourself up
[01:21:40] and getting the things you want.
[01:21:42] And it has everything to do with emptying yourself
[01:21:46] and giving everything away.
[01:21:50] See, the road to contentment
[01:21:52] is to follow Jesus
[01:21:55] in a life of self-denial
[01:21:58] and sacrifice for his kingdom.
[01:22:02] It's like he says,
[01:22:03] it's to take up your cross
[01:22:04] and follow me.
[01:22:07] And here's one last quote from Burroughs.
[01:22:11] He says,
[01:22:12] there is no man or woman so contented
[01:22:15] as the self-denying man or woman.
[01:22:20] And no one has ever denied himself
[01:22:22] as much as Jesus Christ did.
[01:22:26] He gave his cheeks to smiters.
[01:22:29] He opened not his mouth.
[01:22:32] He was as a lamb when he was led to the slaughter.
[01:22:36] He made no noise.
[01:22:37] He made no noise in the street.
[01:22:38] He denied himself above all.
[01:22:40] And he was willing to empty himself.
[01:22:44] And so he was the most contented person
[01:22:46] there ever was in the world.
[01:22:49] And the nearer we come
[01:22:50] to learning to deny ourselves in Christ
[01:22:54] as Christ did,
[01:22:55] the more content we're gonna be.
[01:22:59] It sounds crazy at first.
[01:23:04] But when you and I finally start to see
[01:23:06] the true glory of Christ,
[01:23:07] the true greatness and beauty of Christ,
[01:23:10] when you realize that he is the greater David
[01:23:13] who humbled himself to serve us,
[01:23:16] and actually we are the ones like Saul
[01:23:19] who in our arrogance and pride
[01:23:20] struck him with our spears
[01:23:22] and pinned him to the cross.
[01:23:27] But he was willing to come
[01:23:30] and lay his life down for us.
[01:23:33] He gave his body and his blood
[01:23:35] so that finally,
[01:23:37] we could stop striving after the wind.
[01:23:40] So that anybody who comes to him by faith
[01:23:44] can finally be filled with something
[01:23:46] that actually satisfies.
[01:23:51] See, when you taste and see his goodness,
[01:23:55] when you see him,
[01:23:59] then you won't be looking over there
[01:24:01] at what somebody else has.
[01:24:06] Because you'll know
[01:24:06] that the only way to gain your life
[01:24:08] is to lose it.
[01:24:10] The only way to be filled
[01:24:12] is to become empty.
[01:24:16] The only way to receive
[01:24:19] is to give it all away
[01:24:21] for him and his glory.
[01:24:27] I want us to take a moment here
[01:24:28] and respond to this.
[01:24:33] I just wanna ask you to
[01:24:36] sit here and consider the question.
[01:24:42] What are you really seeking?
[01:24:47] My life will be a success when?
[01:24:48] What is the answer?
[01:25:06] But what is the answer?
[01:25:08] I'm not nervous about winning.
[01:25:10] What God is the answer
[01:25:11] is always sweet.
[01:25:13] But what is the answer?
[01:25:14] And when I think about it,
[01:25:16] I'm might not gonna listen to those who do that,
[01:25:19] but I really did have more Chinese from this place
[01:25:22] than what I knew about it.
[01:25:23] I do feel like something is wanting to happen.
[01:25:25] I feel un caractered.
[01:25:26] Maybe it has something in common with any of us.
[01:25:28] Maybe there's something that I didn't 000
[01:25:30] to lose,
[01:25:33] maybe there's something else in the world
[01:25:35] that I'm unicky about.
[01:25:35] Maybe I'm a little bit too young.
[01:25:36] whatever it is that the Lord's revealing to you right now,
[01:25:43] I want you to silently name it before him.
[01:25:50] Hear his call to come and follow me.
[01:25:55] Lord, as we come to you,
[01:26:07] we admit that we've gotten distracted again.
[01:26:13] Maybe for our whole lives we've lived knowing your promises
[01:26:17] but not believing them truly.
[01:26:21] And God, we pray that by the power of your Holy Spirit,
[01:26:25] you would give us the strength to open our hands
[01:26:29] and release whatever it is to you.
[01:26:37] And would you fill our hands with your abundance,
[01:26:42] with a heart to serve you
[01:26:45] and glorify you now and forever.
[01:26:54] We pray this in Christ's name.
[01:26:55] Amen.
[01:26:59] Would you stand with us and let's sing together.

[01:27:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Jesus bled and died for me.
[01:27:32] I see his wounds, his hands, his feet.
[01:27:39] I say, Lord, I curse and pray.
[01:27:45] I say, Lord, I curse and pray.
[01:27:55] I say, Lord, I curse and pray.
[01:27:55] I say, Lord, I curse and pray.
[01:28:25] In the name of the Lord our God, oh, praise his name.
[01:28:36] Forevermore, for endless days, we will sing our praise.
[01:28:45] Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God.
[01:28:51] Oh, Lord, oh, Lord our God.
[01:29:21] Christ the King, oh, praise him, oh, praise the name of the Lord our God.
[01:29:35] Oh, praise his name forevermore, for endless days, we will sing our praise.
[01:29:49] Oh, Lord.
[01:29:51] Oh, Lord our God.
[01:29:58] Oh, Lord our God.
[01:30:06] He shall return in robes of white.
[01:30:13] For his son shall be with us tonight.
[01:30:21] And I will rise among the saints.
[01:30:28] On his front wings, on Jesus' face.
[01:30:36] Let's sing that again.
[01:30:37] He shall return.
[01:30:39] He shall return in robes of white.
[01:30:46] The blazing sun.
[01:30:50] He shall sont his delight.
[01:30:50] Oh, praise his name evermore, for endless days, we will sing our praise.
[01:30:51] projected up out of that teardrop.
[01:30:52] He shall return in robes of white.
[01:30:52] Ladies and gentlemen, let the whole community sing His幹嘛 wise song.
[01:30:52] He shall return his own praise.
[01:30:57] Oh, praise his name forevermore, for endless days, we will sing our praise.
[01:31:06] For his son shall return in robes of white.
[01:31:07] He shall return.
[01:31:07] He shall return.
[01:31:08] He shall return.
[01:31:08] He shall return.
[01:31:10] Oh, praise his name.
[01:31:18] Oh, praise.
[01:31:19] Oh, praise His name, forevermore, for endless days we will sing your praise, oh Lord, oh Lord our God.
[01:31:41] Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God, oh, praise His name, forevermore, for endless days we will sing your praise, oh Lord, oh Lord our God.
[01:32:10] Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God, oh, praise His name, forevermore, for endless days we will sing your praise, oh Lord, oh Lord our God.
[01:32:11] Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, our God.
[01:32:17] Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, our God.
[01:32:28] Oh, praise the name of the Lord our God.
[01:32:36] Oh, praise His name forevermore.
[01:32:42] For endless days we will sing Your praise.
[01:32:50] Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, our God.
[01:32:57] Oh, Lord, oh, Lord, our God.
[01:33:05] Oh, praise His name forevermore.
[01:33:06] Oh, praise His name forevermore.
[01:33:12] Oh, praise His name forevermore.

[01:33:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
At the end of the Gospel of John, there is a moment after the Resurrection
[01:33:22] where Jesus tells Peter exactly what it's going to cost him
[01:33:26] to follow Him and to become a leader in the church.
[01:33:30] And Peter looks over at John and he says,
[01:33:33] Well, what about Him?
[01:33:35] What's it going to cost Him?
[01:33:38] And Jesus says,
[01:33:40] If I want Him to remain alive until I return,
[01:33:44] what is that to you?
[01:33:46] You must follow Me.
[01:33:50] As we go out from this place,
[01:33:53] you are invited to follow Jesus
[01:33:56] into a life that will truly fulfill you
[01:34:00] in the way nothing else had.
[01:34:02] And so I send you out with this blessing.
[01:34:05] Now to Him who is able
[01:34:07] to do immeasurably more
[01:34:09] than all we can ask or imagine
[01:34:12] according to His power
[01:34:14] that is at work within us,
[01:34:16] to Him be glory in the church
[01:34:18] and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations
[01:34:21] forever and ever.
[01:34:23] Amen.
[01:34:24] Go in peace.

[01:34:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
.
[01:34:40] .
[01:34:45] .

[01:34:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
.
[01:34:55] .
[01:35:03] .
[01:35:08] .
[01:35:13] .
[01:35:18] .
[01:35:23] .
[01:35:28] .
[01:35:31] .
[01:35:36] .
[01:35:40] .
[01:35:42] .
[01:35:45] .
[01:35:48] .
[01:35:55] .
[01:35:58] .
[01:35:59] I ever with Thee, and Thou with me, Lord.
[01:36:11] Thou my great Father, and I Thy true Son.
[01:36:20] Thou in me dwell, and I in thee dwell.