Part 25: Build Your Dream Live the Life You've Always Wanted! Texts: James 4:14 (NKJV) - For what is your life? Philippians 3:13-15 (NKJV) - Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, [14] I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Mark 8:22-26 (NKJV) - Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. [23] So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. [24] And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees walking. [25] Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. [26] Then He sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town. A. The Bible is amazing! 1. A display case in the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana, contains one of the largest gold nuggets ever discovered. a. Named The Hand of Faith, it weighs 72.9 lbs. using the Troy measurement for weighing gold.
b. It was discovered with a metal detector behind the owner's mobile home. Imagine having this huge gold nugget only a few inches below the surface of the ground, just waiting to be found! c. Trust me when I say that this man never again wanted to live in a mobile home! 2. The Bible is like that. By searching the scriptures, who knows how many incredible truths that will forever change our lives are just waiting to be found! Stay It! Part 2 Healing the Need to Please Disease B. As pointed out in our discussion of the need to please people disease, this longing for approval can be quite disabling. 1. Some people are willing to stand on tiptoes and submit themselves to almost anything to be accepted and make others happy. 2. Joke: Misunderstanding Submission A man who married a woman from California said to her, "When I come home from work, I expect you to have a hot water bath ready, dinner cooked, and a clean house. Coming home on the first day, he found none of his expectations. On the second day, nothing. The third day, nothing. Another man who married a woman from Indiana gave her the same instructions as the first husband. Coming home the first day, he found nothing. The second day, nothing. The third day, nothing. A third man married a woman from Texas and gave these instructions: When I come home from work, I expect to have my bath water ready, dinner cooked and the house cleaned. What's more, I'll decide when we go to bed and the time you'll give me a massage. On the first day, nothing. The second day, nothing. The third day, nothing. Finally, on the
fourth day, he could open one of his swollen, black eyes enough to painfully limp towards the refrigerator and make himself a sandwich with his two broken arms. 3. Many people spend their lives worrying whether they will be validated or accepted by others. 4. When Jesus first prayed for the blind man, he saw men as trees walking. Nothing else had such large dimensions. Only people were given the most dominant part of his life. 5. When I last spoke about this, four examples were given of harmful, destructive situations that could result from this pleasing people disease: a. No. 1. Pleasing people can cause you to miss God's purpose for your life. b. No. 2. Pleasing people will cause you to miss your destiny and your dream! c. No. 3. Pleasing people can prevent you from developing your faith. d. No. 4. Trying to please everyone will lead you into sin. C. Now, let's examine four other detrimental situations that result from this people pleaser trap: 1. No. 5. Pleasing people can cause believers to become untrue to themselves and to God. By seeking the approval of men rather than God, we must pretend to be something we should not be. a. The ancient Greeks loved stage drama performances that displayed the actors' emotions by using masks. In the Far East, Japanese and Korean actors also revealed their anger or joy by stepping off the stage and putting on a carved mask that identified their feelings. The Greeks coined the word hypocrite when an actor used a mask. Over time, the word described anyone who pretended to be one thing, yet was something else.
b. In today's political arena, most Americans are still amazed at the support being given candidates who refuse to be politically correct. Both men feel free to say what they think, even if they're wrong! They're tired of being told to keep silent especially those of us who are Christians if you're not 'enlightened.' c. You may not agree with either Donald Trump or Dr. Ben Carson, but both are far ahead of everyone else in the polls. Even though many Americans do not fully agree with what these two say, nor do I totally agree, Americans like the fact that they can say what they wish without having to be politically correct. It's even funnier to watch some of the other candidates (who are actually politicians) trying to show how candid they can also be! d. 2 Corinthians 10:18 (Contemporary English Version) - You may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts is the Lord s approval. 2. No. 6. Pleasing people can rob you of your salvation and personal relationship with Christ. a. When people in your life become too 'big,' why choose to be forever lost just to get along with them? How smart is that? b. But that's not the worst part of being without Christ. In Luke 15, three of Jesus' parables described the three dimensions of being lost: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The lost sheep represents the dimension of danger; the lost coin is about losing our purpose and destiny; and finally, the lost son is the worst possible scenario losing our relationship with the Father. 3. No. 7. Pleasing people can also rob the world of your witness for Christ! a. The world needs to hear your testimony! But if you're more concerned about pleasing people, you can't risk their disapproval by discussing an unpopular subject.
b. John, chapter 9, relates the amazing story of yet another man Jesus healed who had been blind from birth. To discredit Jesus, the Pharisees tried to remove the credibility of the miracle by asking his parents' opinion of Jesus. You would think they would be shouting praises about Jesus: Wow! He's amazing! He healed our son who has been blind all his life!" But notice what they said: c. John 9:20-23 (NKJV) - His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; [21] but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." [22] His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. [23] Therefore his parents said, He is of age; ask him. d. Throughout the New Testament, many refused to speak up for Jesus because they feared what others may say. Knowing He was innocent, Pilate had that opportunity as judge, but he refused to set Jesus free. Fearing public opinion, he chose the approval of the crowd. That reminds us of some recent decisions by the Supreme Court and district judges who have completely ignored the Constitution and laws of the land to please people. e. John 7:13 (NLT) - But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders. f. John 12:42-43 (NIV) - Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
g. Some translations say 'human approval' instead of human praise! Wow! They chose man's approval rather than God's! 4. No. 8. Pleasing people robs God of our worship and devotion. a. God alone is worthy and deserving of our worship and love. Should we prefer worship that pleases people rather than God, Heaven will be left with a void and empty place. b. After attending over-billed events that charge too much for the little I've received, I sometimes feel like asking for a refund. But when people of all ages gather around Heaven's throne to worship, no one seems disappointed. Instead, they cry out: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing! (Revelation 5:12 NKJV). D. Here's a good question that may help analyze ourselves: 1. in what areas of life am I allowing people to influence me to do wrong or to keep me from doing what's right so I can gain their approval or avoid their rejection? In my marriage? my family? friends? career? job? politics? E. Life Application Points: How to be set free from the need to please: 1. Since not even God can please everyone neither can you! a. Abraham Lincoln said, "You can please all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot please all of the people, all of the time!" b. If you try to do what God Himself cannot do, I promise you're setting yourself up for a fall. c. In Luke 6:26 (NIV) Jesus said, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you!" d. Remember: the only time when all men will speak well of you is at your funeral! If you are still alive when everyone is saying good
things, you must be dead in other ways, such as: the impact your life is making, or your vision and accomplishments. e. Old Boudreaux died. At his funeral, the preacher was saying so many good things, his wife Marie, who was looking more and more confused, told her oldest son, "Tee, go up dere and see if dat's yo daddy in dat casket. I tink the preacher is talking about somebody else other than old Boudreaux and we done accidentally come to the wrong church!" 2. You don't need the approval of everyone to be fulfilled. The decision to be happy is yours alone not from what others say. You don't need their approval to be happy. 3. Understand that God doesn't expect you to please everyone. He knows how futile that would be. In John 5:41 (New Century Version), Jesus said, I don't need praise from people. 4. Accept the reality that you shouldn't rely on others to meet your emotional needs. They cannot! If you expect this from someone else, you will be disappointed and they will be frustrated. It's not fair to either of you! 5. Know that God accepts you, whether others do or not. And that's all that really matters! a. Ephesians 1:6 (NKJV) - To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the beloved. b. Since God's love is unconditional, you have been accepted in the beloved! 6. Be devoted to the One who loves you and has placed you here on earth. He has given you life, a destiny, and a future!