From Doing for God to Being With God

Devotional

Day 1: Prioritizing Intimacy with God Over Our Performance

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing our worth is tied to what we produce for the Kingdom. We often strive to accomplish great things, fearing that a quiet life is an insignificant one. However, the heart of the gospel is not found in our achievements, but in the finished work of Jesus. We were created for intimacy with the Father long before we were called to any specific task or mission. When we anchor our identity in being with Him, our doing becomes a natural overflow of His grace. [14:34]

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:22-23 NIV)

Reflection: When you look at your spiritual life, do you find yourself more focused on the "miracles" you perform for God or the quiet moments of simply knowing Him?

Day 2: Valuing the Radical and Relentless Love of God

In a culture obsessed with net worth and status, we often misorder our priorities by valuing productivity over presence. We may try to be the most efficient servants in the church, yet miss the radical truth that God’s love is never based on our performance. Jesus invites us to the "better thing," which is sitting at His feet and abiding in His presence. This love is reliable, tender, and remains unchanged regardless of our moods or accomplishments. By making His love our primary goal, we find a firm foundation that the world cannot shake. [20:52]

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5 NIV)

Reflection: If you were unable to "produce" anything for God this week due to illness or exhaustion, how would that change your sense of being loved by Him?

Day 3: Living From the Identity of the Beloved

Before Jesus began His public ministry or performed a single miracle, the Father declared Him to be the "beloved" in whom He was well pleased. This reminds us that God’s love initiates our work; it is not the reward for it. We do not have to kill ourselves with work to prove we are enough, because we are already loved enough. When we live from this place of acceptance, we are freed from the pressure to exaggerate our successes or hide our failures. Our lives become a response to a love that was given freely before we ever took a step of obedience. [31:05]

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17 NIV)

Reflection: What is one specific accomplishment you are currently using to prove your worth to God, and how might He be inviting you to lay that burden down today?

Day 4: Moving From Utility to True Relationship

We often pray to be "used by God," but this can unintentionally lead to a utilitarian relationship where we value ourselves and others only for their usefulness. God is not a distant deity who needs our labor to sustain His glory; He is a Father who desires our company. When we view people through the lens of what they can do for us, we miss the beauty of the image of God in every individual. True life with God means recognizing that every person is equally loved and accepted through the blood of Jesus. We are called to do great things with Him, not just for Him. [40:38]

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV)

Reflection: Think of a person in your life who currently provides no "utility" or "benefit" to you; how can you practice valuing them simply as a fellow image-bearer of God this week?

Day 5: Finding Rest Through the Practice of Sabbath

The practice of Sabbath is a weekly declaration that God is the only one who works twenty-four seven. By choosing to rest, we celebrate our human limits and acknowledge that the world continues to turn under His sovereign care. Sabbath is not just a day off from work, but a day off from the toil of trying to be our own providers. It allows our doing to flow from our being, reorienting our hearts around the truth that we are God's creation living under His roof. Taking time to delight in His love refreshes our souls for the work He has prepared for us. [48:12]

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)

Reflection: When you consider the pace and pressure of your daily life, what is one small way you could practice "stopping" this week to recognize that God is on the throne and you are not?

Sermon Summary

Beginning with a warm welcome and a light joke, the presentation quickly grounds itself in gospel priorities amid cultural turmoil: God is sovereign, every person bears God’s image, and believers must respond to current unrest anchored in Scripture, prayer, mercy, and peacemaking. Drawing on the framework of living “with” God rather than living from, over, under, or for God, the preacher centers Matthew 7:21–23 to confront a dangerous posture—doing impressive spiritual work without intimate knowledge of God. The text’s warning that some who prophesy, cast out demons, and perform signs will hear “I never knew you” is used to reorient ambition away from performance-based worth toward the primacy of relationship with the Father.

Three pastoral, practical pivots are offered. First, value God’s love above achievement: identity must be rooted in being beloved rather than in tallying accomplishments. Second, live from God’s love first—allow the Father’s initiating and affirming love (as at Jesus’ baptism) to fuel ministry and avoid frenetic, approval-driven activity. Third, move from being used to being with: resist utilitarian views that measure people by productivity, and choose Sabbath rhythms that form a life of rest and accompaniment with God. Illustrations—from a young man’s missionary recalibration, to an Olympic diver’s anchor in parental love, to a food-distribution encounter that exposed utilitarian impulses—underscore the real human cost of performance-driven faith and the freeing logic of grace.

Practical disciplines are emphasized: make God’s love the primary goal, set regular reminders of that love throughout the day, and reclaim Sabbath as a weekly countercultural practice that reorders doing to flow from being. The overall summons is simple and urgent: reorient life from proving worth through works to receiving worth through relationship. The conclusion is an invitational moment of worship and altar response, calling people to exchange striving for rest, perfectionism for intimacy, and performance for the steady consolation of being God’s beloved.

Key Takeaways

1. Value God's love above achievement When worth is calculated by performance, relationships and ministry become instruments for validation rather than expressions of grace. Re-centering on God’s unconditional love dismantles the anxiety that fuels excessive striving and allows service to flow from gratitude instead of obligation. This reorientation changes how leaders measure success and how ordinary people define significance. [19:33]
2. Live from God's love first Ministry that begins with divine affirmation is sustainable; ministry that begins with proving worth quickly burns out. Jesus’ baptism shows the Father’s love as the initiating force, not the reward for accomplishment. Building work on that initiation reshapes motives and steadies vocation under pressure. [30:00]
3. Do great things with God There is a gospel distinction between being used by God and being with God: greatness is not a currency for acceptance but a fruit of intimacy. When God’s people act with companionship rather than utility, their service preserves the dignity of others and resists commodifying relationships. This fosters practices that produce lasting fruit without eroding souls. [44:49]
4. Practice Sabbath to reorient Rest is a formative spiritual discipline that names human limits and trusts divine sufficiency; it is not optional busywork. Sabbath interrupts the idol of productivity by cultivating a posture of being—so that doing can flow from rootedness rather than anxiety. Regular Sabbath restores perspective and fuels more faithful, sustainable labor. [46:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:20] - Opening humor and greeting
[02:00] - Four statements amid national turmoil
[06:45] - Series introduction: living "with" God
[07:50] - Four postures toward God explained
[09:25] - Reading: Matthew 7:21–23
[15:30] - The priority: knowing God over doing
[19:33] - First pivot: value God's love most
[30:00] - Second pivot: live from God's love first
[39:25] - Third pivot: from being used to being with
[46:52] - Sabbath as a practical practice
[50:31] - Invitation, worship, and altar response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 7:21–23 (NIV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Observation questions

According to Matthew 7:22, what specific spiritual activities and impressive works did the people claim to have done in Jesus’ name?
Despite the miracles and prophesying performed by these individuals, what was Jesus’ plain response to them in verse 23, and what reason did He give for their rejection?
The sermon describes "living for God" as a posture rooted in a specific fear. What is that fear, and what are people trying to earn through their accomplishments when they live this way? [19:33]
In the story of Jesus’ baptism, what had Jesus accomplished in ministry before the Father declared, "This is my Son, whom I love"? [30:00]

Interpretation questions

Jesus warns that it is possible to do "mighty works" and use the correct religious language ("Lord, Lord") without actually entering the kingdom of heaven. What does this distinction tell us about the difference between religious activity and true relationship with the Father?
The sermon notes that when we focus on "living for God" and being used by Him, we can start to view people in a utilitarian way—valuing them only for what they can produce or do for us. How does this mindset mirror the way worldly kings operate (as seen in 1 Samuel 8) versus how God operates? [43:40]
Sabbath is described not just as a day off from work, but as a declaration that "I am not God." How does the practice of stopping our work serve as an act of faith in God's sufficiency? [48:12]

Application questions

We live in a culture that determines a person's worth based on their "net worth" or what they produce. In what specific areas of your life (career, parenting, ministry) do you feel the most pressure to perform in order to feel significant or valuable? [12:10]
God’s love for you is always more than what you do for God. If you truly lived from this reality tomorrow morning, how would it change the way you approach your to-do list or your interactions with others? [23:57]
We are naturally forgetful people who need to be reminded of our identity. The sermon suggested setting regular reminders—like phone alarms or sticky notes—to recall God's love. What is one specific, practical way you can interrupt your busy schedule this week to remind yourself that you are God's "beloved"? [35:59]
It is easy to accidentally treat people based on their utility—what they can do for us—rather than their dignity as image-bearers. Can you think of a recent time when you viewed a relationship or a person primarily through the lens of "what can I get from them" or "how can they help me"? How can you move from using them to simply being with them? [42:54]
Sabbath is a countercultural practice that reorders our doing to flow from our being. What is the biggest fear or barrier that keeps you from taking a true Sabbath rest, and what is one small step you can take this week to trust God with your time? [49:08]

Sermon Clips

``But, can I just tell you the truth of the gospel and the invitation of Jesus this morning? Everybody still with me? This is the truth for you. If you wanna take one thing away from this message, this is the truth. God's love for you is always more than what you do for God. God's love for you is always more than what you do for God. I'm gonna say it one more time. God's love for you is always more than what you can do for God. This is of the utmost importance because there's nothing you can do to make God love you more or less. He loves you 100%, 100% of the time. [00:23:58] (35 seconds) #GodsLoveAlways

Everybody's happy. Everybody's, you know, wooing and cheering, and the a reporter comes up to him and is asking him afterwards, Greg, what was going through your head before the dive? Were you scared? Was there pressure? Tell us about the process. And Greg looked back at the reporter and he said this, all I was thinking about was that no matter what happens, my mom will love me the same. Friends, can I just give you a grounding principle for us to live from? No matter what happens, your father will love you the same. And, he's inviting you to live from that love first, rather than for that love, and trying to obtain that love because it's already freely given. Amen? [00:38:45] (38 seconds) #LovedRegardless

I may never be able to do enough and guess what? You won't either, but you are loved enough and that is enough. Amen? Amen. Henry Nouwen wrote it this way, you and I don't have to kill ourselves with work. We are the beloved. We are intimately loved long before our parents, teachers, spouses, children, and friends loved or wounded us. That's the truth of our lives. That's the truth spoken by the voice of the one who says, you are my beloved. [00:35:00] (24 seconds) #YouAreBeloved

The invitation from this passage is I believe the antidote for living for God is to live with God, to be with God, to allow his love to be the most important thing about our lives. Brennan Manning wrote a book called The Furious Love of God or Furious Longing of God, and he says it this way, for his love, God's love, is never, never, never based on our performance, never conditioned by our moods, evocation, or depression. The furious love of God knows no shadow of alteration or change. It is reliable and always tender. [00:17:19] (30 seconds) #LiveWithGod

And can I just say this last last but not least? I know there's a lot going on. I know there's turmoil all around. I know you're thinking, is this the end? Can I just say this? God is still on the throne, beloved. We don't need to look in fear or hopelessness or feel like everything's going to end. We need to stand firm on this truth. God is still on the throne, and he's still in the business of making everything good and right and new and as it ought to be. And the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you and dwells in me by faith, and he is empowering us to be a part of that work of bringing the kingdom of heaven here on earth as it is there. Amen? [00:05:28] (40 seconds) #GodIsOnTheThrone

There's nothing greater that you will do in your life than being loved by God and loving another person. There is no greater title that you will ever have than this one, beloved of the Lord. There is no greater prophetic word that you could ever give another person other than this, Jesus loves you. We must make a move from living for God to living with God, reorienting our lives with an encounter of this truth. We don't need to live in fear of insignificance because God's perfect love has cast out that fear and welcomes us to live as his beloved. Amen? [00:28:29] (33 seconds) #LoveAndLoveOthers

And the dangerous thing about living for God and wanting to be used by him is that it influences us to become utilitarian. It says, I want to take advantage of the people and the things around me so that they benefit me. We start to see God as somebody that we're only there to get things from. Right? I just want God for what he gives to me, the blessings he gives to me, the gifts he gives to me. Right? I start valuing people and treating people and speaking about people by what I can get from them. [00:40:55] (29 seconds) #StopUsingPeople

The most significant thing you will ever do in your life is to let God love you and to let him fill you with that love so that you can love the people around you with him. Friends, there's an opportunity this morning to walk in the freedom of truly living with God. It is a free gift for every one of us. We don't need to earn it or strive it. It's not according to our accomplishments or accolades or titles or appearances. He's welcoming us into the freedom of living with him. Amen? [00:51:47] (29 seconds) #ReceiveAndShareLove

But, can I just tell you the truth of the gospel and the invitation of Jesus this morning? Everybody still with me? This is the truth for you. If you wanna take one thing away from this message, this is the truth. God's love for you is always more than what you do for God. God's love for you is always more than what you do for God. I'm gonna say it one more time. God's love for you is always more than what you can do for God. This is of the utmost importance because there's nothing you can do to make God love you more or less. He loves you 100%, 100% of the time. This is the good news. Even while I was in sin, he demonstrated his love by dying for me. This is the good news while I am living, whether I do good or bad or amazing or awful things, God's love for me never changes. [00:23:58] (49 seconds)

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