We wrap up our four week series today called “Rites Of Passage” .
Here are the talking points:
This weekend we wrap up the book of Philippians.
What a fascinating way to develop our spiritual journey.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a kind of sherpa, if you will, to accompany us on our own pilgrimage through this life.
Rite of passage is a celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another or one season to another. It involves a significant change, growth or progress of status in society.
This talk I believe is GERMANE to our culture today – We are attempting to everything and the results turn out poorly. Instead we might attempt doing the right things with excellence.
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
VIDEO Nick Vujicic: We Can Do All Things in Christ!
THE 3 RULES OF MOUNTAINEERING.
IT’S ALWAYS FARTHER THAN IT LOOKS.
IT’S ALWAYS TALLER THAN IT LOOKS.
IT’S ALWAYS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS.
“its not an adventure until something goes wrong” – Scott Brady
Making mistakes and having things “go wrong” or “not as planned” are a essential part of growth for our spiritual journey. …… As important as forest fires winter and insects are to the life of a healthy thriving forest.
We only grow by being BURNT, BROKEN, BENT AND BITTEN.
Paul is writing this book in a Roman Prison. – and he writes these words.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
1. BEFORE DOING “ALL THINGS” REMEMBER TO START WITH SMALL THINGS.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. – Luke 16:10
“God will entrust you with something bigger after you have proved yourself faithful in the small things.”
“Don’t despise the day of small things.” – Zechariah 4:10
The problem most of us face is we see so many “big” things and we forget or don’t even know how they originally started.
2. MAYBE “ALL THINGS” NEED TO BE RIGHT THINGS
“You can be anything you want to be.” …..”If you can dream it you can do it.”
How many of you have those statements before?
these are phrases that almost all of us have agreed we’ve heard throughout our childhood.
While it sounds so great and inspirational, it’s actually could be a a lie.
Take me for example.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics.
There were three simple steps to accomplishing my goal.
- Make 24.3 points per game in the NBA
- Be selected to represent the United States in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
- Be 6’9.”
That’s not my gift set. You would laugh watching me try out for the NBA. If I would have seriously pursued that dream, I would be lost wondering why life didn’t work out. God had something better in mind for me than I did for me.
The same goes for all of us.
We can’t be anything we want to be because we can only be who God made us to be. Our dreams are important, but God’s desires for us are even greater.
Adopting His vision for our lives sets us free to be who He wants us to be, rather than who we think we should be.
So how do we discover what we’re supposed to do with our lives?
Replace the lies we’ve been telling ourselves about who we should be by being honest about our obstacles and opportunities.
Our lies wear us out by pursuing goals that God never meant us to chase. A pipe-dream life. Unreal and unattainable. Both are not us. The lies have to die so you can finally live.
God’s miraculous plan – STOP AT 3:46 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYuVx2LU5QM
“Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.”
What doors are open for you? Do they match up with your skill set?
If yes, these are your opportunities. You were created exactly the way you are for a reason and have a great purpose in being here on this planet. God has put something incredible in your grasp.
Reach out and take it.
Try “ALL THINGS” AND DO THEM POORLY OR THE RIGHTS THINGS AND DO THEM WITH EXCELLENCE.
3. “ALL THINGS” BUT MOSTLY PRAISEWORTHY THINGS.
“whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8,9 (NKJV)
Rites of passage to to an amazing life with your creator in this creation is developed through small things/right things and praiseworthy things.
ALL THINGS MIGHT NOT JUST MEAN ALL THINGS IN THE GOOD TIMES.
ALL THINGS MEANS ALL THING IN THE HARD TIMES.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Put it on a coffee mug. Put in on a T-shirt. Tattoo it on your body. Put the quote on one of those inspirational posters. The message is “you can do anything you set your mind to!” You can follow your dreams because Christ will strengthen you. You can put it on football posters, superhero posters, jumping in the air triumphantly posters, weight lifting posters, and of course “standing on the edge of a cliff” posters. One meme that I came across said, “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something when the Bible says you can do all things through Christ. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13 ESV)
This is about contentment. Paul discovered the secret to being content in every circumstance. He knows how to face anything that comes at him, whether it is the worst of times or the best of times. It is not about triumphant living. It is not a mantra that will enable you to follow your dreams. The passage doesn’t match the tone of an inspirational poster. Paul talks about being content when he is brought low and when he is hungry and in need.
ALL THINGS WOULD BE:
HARD THINGS/PAINFUL THINGS/HURTFUL THINGS
MONOTONOUS THINGS
CONFUSING THINGS
FRUSTRATING THINGS
TOUGH THINGS
ALONE THINGS
FAITHFULNESS WHEN NOBODY NOTICES THINGS
MISUNDERSTOOD THINGS
BEING FORSAKEN THINGS
ENDURING THE BROKEN THINGS, THE THINGS THAT BURN US, BITE US AND BEND US.
If we wanted to be accurate we could still make some posters though.
One poster could have someone pulling their pockets inside out with a couple moths fluttering out. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!
Another poster could have someone getting last place in a race. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!
One poster could have a picture of someone face down crying on a pillow. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!
Another poster could have someone looking in their cupboard only to find one can of peas. I CAN DO ALL THINGS!
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