This afternoon to introduce our study.
I'd like to turn your attention. First of all, to John 8:44, the
title of our lesson is gas lighting and the battle for
desire. In John 8:44, we want to look at
who started this whole deal of gaslighting Jesus.
There, in condemning the Jews. He says to them that you are of
your father, the devil, and the desires of your father, you want
to do, he was a murderer from the the beginning and does not
stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is
a liar and the father of it. As we get into it we're going to
Define gaslighting. If you're not familiar with the
turn, will Define what it is. But it involves a lot of lying
and when we talked about lying lying Started With the Devil, he
is the father of lies and when he speaks a lie he speaks as it
were from his own resources, it just comes out of them.
That's Like he is, he is the father of Lies.
A second verse, to kind of introduce the direction of our
thoughts, as Mark chapter 4, and verse 19, Jesus there in talking
about the Thorny ground defines the thorny ground as the person
that it comes in and chokes out the word, the cares of this
world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other
things in touring and choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.
So there's the deceitfulness, there's a lie that comes with
riches. And the desires for other things
in the world can choke out the word. 2022, Webster's word of
the year was gaslighting. Now, I know you guys don't know
me that great here in Bakersfield, but in Oakdale,
everybody knows that coal is kind of the guy that that's
behind the times. Now that he's kind of late to
the party I hadn't heard of gaslighting.
So Hannah, I was building this lesson in the strain of thought
and Hannah looks over my shoulder and she sees the title
and come up with gaslighting. I was like a new word to me so
I'm like this is great. Great.
This is going to get to teach everybody a new word and Hannah
just goes, I am so sick of hearing that word.
I guess it's a massively popular word or word that just started
getting way overused. But so if you have, if you have
a reaction like that, that's like, I'm so tired of hearing
about gaslighting, stick with me, we're defining it in our own
context, it may or may not match what you're used to hearing the
word about. So we'll begin to finding it
ourselves for this afternoon here.
Gaslighting, literally means we have two definitions, two ways
to Define it. The first one is two.
Psychologically manipulate a person, usually over an extended
period of time. So that the victim questions,
the validity of their own thoughts perception of reality
or memories and experience or memories and experiences
confusion loss of confidence and self-esteem and doubts
concerning their emotional or mental stability.
So as we talk about this afternoon, the battle for our
desire, I think there's a lot of these components that as we
think about what we want. Begin to question.
Should I want those things? Should I want what we're being
told? What we should want all the
time? We question our own view of
reality. The second definition is this to
grossly mislead or deceive someone, especially for one's
own Advantage. The premise of our study this
afternoon is that there is a very strong attempt to grossly,
misleading our desires, especially for other people's
advantages that really needs to be undermined.
We're surrounded I'd buy it, I believe all of the time and
we're constantly inundated with it.
So if everything that you hear this afternoon, you're like I
knew all that. That's fine because we're so
often surrounded by an opposite message.
That even if we as Peter says, stir up our minds by way of pure
remembrance, we need this because it's so around us on the
opposite extreme. So, if you give a lion the devil
we've already talked about About is referred to as a line if you
give a lion 7.1 trillion dollars, what happens?
Well, what happens? I'll begin to introduce is, is
my iPhone has a YouTube feed on it, these algorithms, and all of
your apps. Now whether it's social media,
so Instagram, and I'm going to show you that.
I've been out of it for a while. Instagram, Twitter.
I don't know. Pinterest, YouTube, They all
have an algorithm that begins to offer you things, that maybe
you're interested in Amazon, does this as well with your
recent purchase is Google will do it.
If you try to Google things it knows what you've searched for.
All of these technologies have this way of getting in front of
you and I could pick up. So I told you this morning, I
had to discipline myself with my phone because YouTube YouTube is
now blocked on close phone. If you try to show me a video,
you're gonna have to show it to me on your phone.
It's blocked because I would pick it up.
I wouldn't even know what I wanted.
I wouldn't even be going there. Looking for anything in
particular. I just knew that I could pick up
my phone type in YouTube and I could see what it offered me.
I could see, hey, turns out, you know what, there was something I
wanted, there was something that I was interested in but I didn't
even know that at what it was. I just knew I could go there and
find it. Okay, so here's a quote from a
study about advertising billions of dollars.
Three hundred twenty five point five.
Billion dollars to be exact are spent on advertising in the
United States. Each years from Billboards to
Internet ads. These expenditures are intended
to stimulate demand, inform customers, and differentiate
products and services in the marketplace.
You're like, yeah, yeah. I know.
That's what. That's what advertising does.
It tells you what's different about that widget from this
widget. But there's more to it than just
educating you on the differences.
That's the second part. The resulting heightened
awareness among buyers does more than merely shift, mark.
It's share among competing firms.
It stimulates purchases, and generates additional economic
activity, that would not have occurred of occurred.
Otherwise advertising spending stimulated, a seven point one
trillion dollars of additional sales activity in 2020.
The trillion-dollar life, the seven point.
One trillion dollar lie is that you want more that you need to
buy more, you need to achieve more, you want something beyond,
what you actually think that you You want there is an effort to
convince us. That we don't actually have what
we want and that we want more. So maybe you're like Me at times
and you say well I don't have all that that that Social Media
stuff. I'm glad that that stuff doesn't
work on me. I'm glad those advertisements
don't work on me. Well, first Corinthians 10 and
verse 12 says, let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest
he fall. Here's one of my planning
spreadsheets, okay. So as I reflected on myself and
I like those ads don't work on me.
They're not convincing me that I want more.
This little gold section up here.
Is a goal for God okay. All these little black things
that you see are different areas of life.
That I've said, here I have this goal here, have a section for my
home, I got plans for my home. I want to make, I want to make
some improvements at my home. I have some goals for my
children that we want to achieve.
I have some financial goals down here.
You see, I have several black boxes for financial goals.
I have health insurance, a lot of boxes for health.
Insurance to be taken care of, and retirement planning is a big
ol, long Blacklist. But up here, there's one little
gold box way out in the far future.
So as I begin to look at that and I say well maybe this stuff
is having a bigger impact than I thought.
What why are my why do my goals look like that?
Maybe I've underestimated the impact of what are my desires
have gone. So I know it's not happy New
Years and now we're starting the second quarter but this is the
first time I've seen most of you this year.
How did 2020 to go for you guys? You satisfied with 2022.
Was it a good year as you look back on it?
How do you feel about 20-23 is your starting?
What's my year going to be like, what am I going to work for this
year? What are my goals and intense
for this year? What do you want out of this
year? So we're going to go through
this study in three parts. Again, this afternoon, we're
going to first, look at, show me a Covetous, man from the Old
Testament and the New Testament as well.
This turns out Out, I'll be interested to get feedback from
you guys here but show me a Covetous man is not as easy as I
thought that it would be. And we spent a long time in
Oakdale after this this study some of the girls were at the
back of the building and Hannah was like what happened.
There was a lot of guys around. You say something wrong and you
guys are up there talking for a while.
Show me a Covetous, man. Maybe a little more difficult
than it time to think. Then we're going to move to
secondly contentment without apology from Hebrews chapter 13.
And then finally, we'll look at never enough, Philippians
chapter 4 and verse 17. So show me a Covetous, man.
I'll tell you a story quickly about this idea of covetousness.
There was a man that was a Confessor, so a Confessor in
Catholicism whatever kind of Catholicism you're talking
about, I believe. But the Confessor is somebody
that receives confessions. So he was, he was saying that he
had received thousands of confessions over his time being
a Confessor, but out of all of the thousands of confessions, he
had never had somebody come to him and confess the sin of
covetousness in their life. And so we thought about it and
he's like, why is this? So he decided I'm going to go to
the most Covetous man. I know that I look at that man
and I I know he's a Covetous man and I'm gonna ask him.
I'm going to tell him this. I'm going to say I have never
received a confession for covetousness.
Why do you think this is? So he goes and he explains the
situation to the man. He says I've never received the
this confession. Why do you think this is?
And the, the Covetous man looks at him and he goes Well, maybe
it's because it's the rarest sin of all.
It's just so uncommon. It just doesn't happen.
Covetousness does not happen. The guy is a response was.
My concern is not that. It's the rarest sin of all, but
that it's the most common Centreville, and we just don't
recognize it in ourselves when we're guilty of it.
Covetousness, maybe we could look at it as the gentleman
sing, like, one of those sins that it's like, it's almost
potentially in some ways if you frame it, right?
And admired sin. That you could look at somebody
that maybe is actually Covetous, but you just look at them and
think, well, maybe they're just driven maybe they're motivated.
They're never complacent. They're never happy with just
being where they're at. That's a successful person.
It's easy to look at Covetous - that way but the Bible when the
Bible talks about covetousness is not very unclear about it.
It's pretty strict on covetousness.
There's three different words for covetousness and there's an
English word within these definitions that I didn't know
and we'll Define as well. So we're going to go through
four definitions here as we defined what is this
covetousness that we're looking for?
The first word is these are strong.
Numbers. You can look them up and check
me on it in the future if you would like.
But covet is to set the heart up on too long for or desire within
the first definition. Covetous the second definition
is a greedy desire to have more also defined as avarice.
This is the English word that I didn't know you can laugh at me
later if you know it but will Define it as well.
The third definition is real similar but it is not Covetous.
These are all three words that are Greek words translated covet
or covetousness in our English Bibles and it is not loving
money or not avaricious avaricious is In English to find
a greedy of gain, excessively acquisitive, especially in
seeking to orde riches. So maybe you're like, well I'm
not Covetous. Don't really care all that much.
About money I get paid on Friday and the money is gone by Monday
morning guaranteed. I'm not covet, just not worried
about my retirement. Not worried about that bank
account taken up. Well covetousness really applies
to a lot more than I realized that it applied to inscription.
so, if you do a study, In a, in a Concordance.
That starts with covet. So this can include Covetous
covet coveted, anything that starts with covet, then it
applies in scripture New Testament and Old Testament to
obviously something that is your neighbors.
Okay, that's that's what first comes to my mind.
Is that I want something. That is my neighbors, and that's
true. It applies to Something in
scripture specifically. That is your neighbor's house.
Your neighbor's wife, your neighbors, serve it, your
neighbors donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor is
Raised used in the Bible. So, you can covet a lot of
different things besides just money.
Anything that belongs to your neighbor that you look at your,
like I want that. They have it.
I want that. That's covetousness.
Yes. It also though applies to
something that is not your neighbors potentially but land
silver gold, the catch of evil. Men applies to water water wars
have happened in California, Treasures evil gain and apparel.
A great scriptural, definition of covetousness.
Would be first John 2:17, do not love the world or the things in
the world covetousness. It goes pretty Broad and it's a
lot easier to be guilty of it at times than at first, I thought
scripture and condemning covetousness Jesus says in Luke
chapter 12 and verse 15. Take heed and beware of
covetousness for one's life. Does not consist in the
abundance of the things he possesses.
In First Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 11.
I have written to you, not to keep company with anyone named a
brother who is Covetous, not even to eat with such a person,
so don't even eat with somebody that's coming cious.
For this, you know, that no Covetous man, who is an
idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ in God,
let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these
things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of Disobedience
and Colossians chapter 3, and verse 5, very similar to
Ephesians 5 put to death your members, which are on the earth
covetousness which is idolatry for because of this.
Just like infusions 5. The wrath of God is coming upon
the sons of disobedience. Old Testament.
References on covetousness. Old Testament has 17 out of 35
times that the word covet just is used in the Bible.
It's Condemned as hating covetousness, it said that you
shall not covet the wicked covet, the iniquity of his
covetousness and woe to him who covets and now you're like, well
yeah, the Old Testament is pretty harsh on some things.
Maybe the New Testament is a little bit easier on
covetousness, actually the New Testament just gets firmer on
covetousness. It has 18 references and it gets
even harsher. It says that covetousness.
Files a man. It is considered a debased mind,
it is not fitting it all for a Christian, you shall not covet.
It makes you of the world. It causes you to disinherit the
kingdom of God. It shall not be named among you.
It is not fitting for a saint. It is considered idolatry it
disqualifies an elder it is used for exploitation and deception
and it causes you to be called an accursed child.
Covetousness is not a good thing.
So we started out with her all those scriptures and painted
this picture about covetousness, very clearly from scripture
because it's easy, especially in America, the place of the
American dream to just want what you want.
And it's not a big deal. You have the right to what you
want. You have the right to pursue and
work as hard to get your dreams as you want to.
That the Bible paints a very clear picture about
covetousness, not being a good thing in our lives.
Adolf Hitler, I had that he's quoted as saying this, he did
the quote didn't actually come from him, he just really
implemented the strategy and the strategy is if you tell a lie
big enough and you keep repeating it, people will
eventually come to believe it. So we've talked about
advertising that we feel like we're being told constantly you
need more and if they say that to us enough, if we're
surrounded by it enough we begin to believe it.
There's a story about being locked behind a door.
There are these two guys that work together and they began to
play Capture the Flag in an office setting.
I don't exactly know how you play Capture the Flag and it
off. Setting, but they had a way of
playing it. There are something in each guys
office that you could go in and you could get and it captured
their flag. Well, as guys go, you know, it
kind of got out of hand and they had to start setting some rules.
You could only steal the flag between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
So one guy gets into his office early as like 750 7:45 and
here's something in his closet and he realizes it's one of his
co-workers waiting to steal its flag any runs over.
He throws a chair in front of the door and slammed it against
it. And says ha, I got you, you're
locked behind the door. I'm not letting you out until
the end of the day. That's what you get for trying
to steal my flag and the guy. No, that's not fair, that's not
fair. But the guy on the outside.
What he realizes, he's trying to lock this door with the chair.
Was that the chair was too tall to handle was too short.
He couldn't get the chair wedged in there to lock the door, but
he'd already told the man that the door was locked.
And the guy starts saying, that's not fair, that's not
fair. It said nope you're staying in
there and that guy stayed in this closet for the rest of the
day until finally at the end of the day he heard something.
And you guys don't have acoustic ceiling tiles here but they had
acoustic ceiling tiles and a tile moved in the guy was
climbing outside over the ceiling because the door was
locked, but he got out and that door had never been locked the
whole time. So we stayed behind that door
because he believed it and that's one silly story.
You can talk about the elephants to get strapped to a little tiny
stake in the ground because they've been trained that way
and they believe they can't move it when we believe something.
We will stay behind as it were a locked door, it changes us, you
need more. Whatever it is is what we're
constantly being told. So as we conclude this section,
show me a Covetous, man. Could you spot a Covetous Elder?
First Timothy chapter 3 and verse 3 says that covetousness
will disqualify and Elder and we may say to ourselves, you know,
well covetousness, it's kind of an internal thing.
We all just need to decide if we're coverage.
Has. We can't exactly say that
covetousness has to be something that is you could see in
somebody else in some way, if it can disqualify an elder, then
it's something that we can see. And practically say, this is
something we can't have in our lives.
Can we identify covetousness in ourselves?
Smooth Delta, contentment with no apologies.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5 says, let your conduct be
without covetousness. I think it's fair to say we've
established that point. Maybe you're like yeah we've
kind of spent a little too much time there but archon duct must
be without covetousness this afternoon.
He goes on to say be content. So we've learned very clearly
that covetousness is not to be a part of our lives, whatever it
is that we are Covetous about. It's not to be a part of our
life instead though. The flip side is that we are to
be content. Contentment literally means to
be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong to
suffice to be enough. Be possessed of unfailing
strength and be content and be sufficient with what you have.
He says, with such things as you have your.
Like, maybe we could have just started here Cole.
We could have saved like 15 20 minutes.
At this point you could have just said don't be Covetous and
instead be content and be content with such things as you
have, maybe maybe we could have. We can talk about that after but
be content with such things. As you have you notice he
doesn't Define what you have. He doesn't say be content with.
This is the list of what you need.
He says be content with such things.
As you have contentment is not contingent on the things that we
possess So our excuse that I'm Covetous or I really want that
thing because well, this is just a standard of living thing.
I have to have my air conditioner, Maybe.
Paul doesn't say anything or the writer of Hebrews doesn't say
anything about what you have he simply says be content with such
things as you have for. He himself has said, I will
never leave you nor forsake. You the reason you can be
content, the reason I can be content with whatever I have is
because at the end of the day he's never going to leave us nor
forsake us. That's the conclusion of the
matter on this. It reminds me of second
Corinthians chapter 12 verses 8 through 10.
All in speaking about the thorn in his flesh, says concerning
this thing. I pleaded with the Lord, three
times that it might depart from me, time out real fast.
Somebody just taught on this the other day at Oakdale that thorn
in the flesh. I'd always thought about it as
like the little Thorn on a rose bush or something.
You know that like it's just something that's a little
annoying in your flesh and it kind of hurts, but it's not
really a big deal. That's not really what that
Greek word there is though it's like a big steak almost as The
way that this brother was describing it that this is
something that is a massive wound to you.
It's not just something minor that Paul was dealing with,
probably that he was asking for the Lord to take away.
Anyways, he asked the Lord three times to take this away and gods
response in verse 9 and he said my grace is sufficient, that
weren't sufficient. There is the same word as being
content to be possessed of unfailing strength, Paul.
You can be content with my grace.
For my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Weakness. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities in reproaches in needs for Christ's sake.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Obviously we couldn't leave a discussion on contentment
without at least addressing. First Timothy chapter 6, in
verse 8, First, Timothy 6 and verse 8 is when Paul says to
Timothy and having food and clothing with these, we shall be
continued. Maybe you're like me and you
have this immediate thing that goes up in your mind.
As soon as you read this verse, I call it my capitalist defense
mechanism, you can call it whatever you want in your mind,
but it's like, as soon as I I read this and having food and
clothing with me, these we shall be content.
I'm like, he didn't really mean that he didn't really just mean
that food. And clothing is enough.
Paul knows that you need health insurance, he knows that you
need 2,000 square feet in your home.
He knows that you need two cars. He knows that you needed a job.
And he knows, That's where I immediately go.
And I was listening to this guy who and your mind is, first
Timothy chapter 6 and 8. Apply to Paul says, what?
He says it's not complicated. Who does it apply to them, so we
accept what it says, but now, who does it apply to?
I was listening to this guy on, he was talking about
covetousness, he was hammering down on how bad covetousness was
and the need to be content and he read 1st, Timothy Chapter 6,
and verse 8. And then he Completely
backtracked on everything. And he said, now congregation
you don't have to live by this standard.
Paul didn't expect all of the Christians to live by this
philosophy. This is just a decision that
Paul and Timothy had made in their Journeys.
What do you think? Do you think that's all that it
applies to? Is it just Paul and Timothy that
should live by having food and clothing?
We shall be content. What about our Brethren across
these here. I have our Brethren and Togo and
Ghana because Jimmy had recently gone to Togo and Ghana the gross
national income per capita. Over in those places was seventy
six dollars and 67 cents per month.
Or $185 and 83 cents a month. I'm just going to be straight
with you. If I made that in like a week or
even a day. My attitude would suffer.
Now, after this study, I hope my attitude wouldn't suffer.
But these people that are they fine with it.
What about the Philippines, Jimmy, our Frank goes to the
Philippines and we have these conversations as we talk about
our Brethren elsewhere. And we say, well, should we send
Aid in this situation, or how much should we send them?
Because, you know, you don't want to send them too much and
increase their standard of living.
And they need to be content with what they have over there.
Does this first Timothy 6 and n? It seems to apply to them in
this context. What about the other side of
town? Let's bring it a little closer
to home. Should the other side of town,
you know they're still in America, they should be grateful
for what they have. And whatever side of town you're
from. There's another side of town.
And if you're in the worst side of town in your neighborhood,
there's another neighborhood. So we all have some sort of
perception that we're like, well, they should be content
with what they have but then it comes to myself.
And for some reason, I want to back myself out of what Paul
says here when it comes to my contentment.
In 1st, Timothy Chapter 6 and verse 3.
The teaching is sent out to anyone and the preceding verse.
And First Timothy chapter 6 and verse 7, Paul says that we
brought nothing into this world and we will take nothing out.
I submit to you that none of us brought anything into this
world, and none of us are taking anything out.
I believe. 1st Timothy, Chapter 6 and verse 8 applies to all of
us. Could I live it out?
Put on a live by that principle. This is something that desires
more consideration, just than just a few minutes.
When we're in an assembly with a bunch of other people, this is
something that we all need to go home and think about, can I be
content? Am I currently content and how
do I work on my contentment? And as we think through that,
the question, we need to ask ourselves is since I have more
than what Paul says in 1st Timothy Chapter 6 and verse 8,
what am I accomplishing for the Lord with all of the extra that
I have? Since God has blessed us.
So abundantly with freedom and opportunity.
What am I accomplishing with it? We move now to Never Enough will
start out in James chapter 4, where do Wars and fights come
from among you? Do they not come from your
desires for pleasure, that war in your members.
So he says, you guys are fighting.
You guys have these problems? Where's it coming from?
Can't you see are they not coming from your own selfish
desires for Pleasures that are warring even within yourselves?
He says, You must and do not, have you murder and covet and
cannot obtain, you fight and War yet.
You do not have because you do not ask you ask, and you do not
receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your
pleasures adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know
that friendship with the world is enmity with?
God? He says you have these desires.
Hours within yourself that are creating the strife and this
problem for you. And you're trying to get it
through these wars of whatever, however, your warring amongst
yourselves, but you should just ask for the things that you
want. But sometimes you even ask for
the things that you want of God. But God tells, you know, because
you don't have a good reason for what you're asking the reason
that you're asking is simply so that you may spend it on your
pleasures. That's not a good enough reason.
To want something. Do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God if you want to be a friend
of the world, you're not on God's side.
And they'll go on to say, draw near to God and He will draw
near to you. Can I admit to myself when my
desire for more is driven simply by my own desires for my own
pleasures. Never Enough though.
From a brighter perspective. Philippians chapter 4 verses 11
through 17 Paul. And speaking here says, I have
learned in whatever state I am to be content.
Paul has given these instructions in first, Timothy
chapter 6 and now here in Philippians chapter 4, verses 11
through 17, he says, I have learned in whatever state.
I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I
know how to abound everywhere. And, in all things I have
learned both to be full and To be hungry, both to abound and to
suffer need. I can do all things through
Christ. Who strengthens me?
Paul says, I know how to be content.
I've lived this out when you go to 2nd Corinthians, chapter 11,
And look at what Paul went through.
Paul has the background to tell people how to be content to tell
people. Look, You need to know how to
suffer one and be contented and trust in the Lord.
He says I can do all things through Christ.
Who strengthens me? He says, you sent Aid once in
again, for my necessity, speaking to the Philippian
Brethren, not that I seek the gift though, but I seek the
fruit that abounds to your account, there is Never Enough
fruit for God. So we've talked about a desire
for more, that is simply selfish.
Well, Paul shows us Us that there's another perspective you
can seek a gift but not because he simply wants it for himself.
The reason that he wants what he's going for is to create
fruit for the Lord. Can I align my desires that way?
That there is Never Enough fruit for the Lord, and that is what's
driving me. I'm not driven to have more
because I want an easy. But I'm driven to have more so
that I can do more for the work of the Lord.
Gaslighting in summary. We looked at show me a Covetous
man and the need to be aware of the Covetous man internally and
externally. In our first point we moved
secondly to contentment with no apologies and we need to accept
the Simplicity and sufficiency of contentment in our lives.
And finally, we looked at that there's never enough.
There's never enough fruit for the Lord and we need to
earnestly desire. The fruit of God's work.
What will your year look like, what will your life look like?
What do you want out of life? Will the world have a shot at my
desires? Or have my affections been
nailed to the cross. I have a story to read to you as
we close. It's about a Mexican fishermen.
The Story Goes Like This. There once was a vacationing,
American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint Coastal
fishing Village in southern Mexico.
And he watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican.
Fishermen pulled into the dog inside the small boat were.
Several large yellow fin tuna enjoying the warmth of the early
afternoon sun the American complemented, the fisherman on
the quality of fish and he said, how long did it take you to
catch him? He said, oh a few hours.
Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?
The American businessman asked. The fishermen warmly replied
with this. I have more than enough to
support my family's needs. The businessmen then became very
serious. He said, but what do you do with
the rest of your time? Responding with the smile, the
fisherman said I sleep late. I play with my children.
Watch ball games, I take a siesta with my wife, sometimes
in the evenings, I take a stroll in the village to see my friends
to play the guitar, sing a few songs, the American businessman
impatiently interrupted. He said, look, I have an MBA
from Harvard. Offered and I can help you do
help you to be more profitable. You can start my fishing several
hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra
fish. You catch with the extra money.
You can buy a bigger boat with the additional income.
The larger boat will bring before long.
You can buy a second boat, then a third and so on until you have
an entire fleet of fishing boats, proud of his own sharp
thinking, he immediately excitedly elaborated, a grand
scheme, which could bring even bigger profits then instead of
selling your catch to a middleman, you'll be able Sell
your fish directly to the processor, even open your own
Cannery. Eventually you could control the
product for processing all the way to distribution.
You could leave this tiny Coastal, fishing Village and
move to Mexico City, maybe even Los Angeles and New York City
where you could have even further.
Expand your Enterprise, having never sought it thought of such
things, the fisherman asked, but how long will all this take
after a rapid mental calculation?
The Harvard MBA pronounced probably about 15 to 20 years,
maybe less, if you Work really hard.
And then, what senior asked the fisherman, why?
That's the best part answer. The businessman with the left,
when the time is right, you would sell your company stock to
the public and became very rich. You would make millions,
millions really, what would I do with it all?
Asked the young fisherman in disbelief, the businessman,
boasted then you could happily retire with all the money you've
made, you could move to a quaint Coastal fishing village where
you could sleep late. Eight play with your
grandchildren, watch ball games and take Siesta with your wife.
You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could
play the guitar and sing with your friends, all you want.
You know, it's funny when you read the story, you see the loop
there, right? It's not quite as funny when I
play that game with myself. And I actually think through the
loop that potentially I'm creating, if you noticed in that
story, I've read that story several times in different
lessons and until this last time, I never noticed the, the
fisherman starts out by saying I could play with my children.
And then at the end of the story, the businessman, lets him
know you could play with your grandchildren.
You're going to have missed your children.
You're going to have checked out in this Loop for most of your
life. The LIE is that I desire more.
The truth is that there's nothing to desire from this
world. Jesus said it best when he said
what profit is it to a man? If he gains the whole world and
loses his own soul, if anyone desires to come after me, let
him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me, I will work
harder. To align my desires and bring my
desires nearer to Jesus. Jesus offers us an alternate
life focus and that's to walk in the light that he offers.
Are we here this evening or this afternoon?
And not a Christian come believing and willing to turn
your life over to Jesus. Believe that he is the Son of
God. Repent of your sins confess, his
name before men and that's a confession that is present now.
And you will continue to confess his name before men for the rest
of your life. Whoever you stand before and be
baptized for the remission of your sins and then walk in
newness of life for the rest of your life.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information, or you would like
to receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
Please email us at info at her Church of Christ
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
honored guest.