Navigating Life: From Outdated Maps to Divine Guidance
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Bible Study Guide
Sermon Clips
"Well, there was a time, and many of us probably remember the days before we had the world at our fingertips, meaning a cell phone. And for those of you who don't remember those days, in those days, if you wanted to get to a new place, you would either have to know the lay of the land, or you would have to use a map." [00:00:00] (21 seconds)
"And maps are great, especially when they have the current information. I want you to imagine that you are revisiting a former vacation spot, and the last time you were there, about 10 years ago, you remember eating this delicious meal at this little local spot. The ambiance was fantastic and memorable, and so you want to re-experience that on your current vacation." [00:00:23] (28 seconds)
"And so you pull out your map that you used on vacation 10 years ago, and you start charting your course, and you make the turns. The excitement is building. You're excited for what you're about to experience. And as you finally reach your destination, you realize that where the restaurant once stood is now someone's home. You get frustrated. You get upset. You blame the map, and yet the real issue is that the map, you were using a map that no longer applied." [00:00:50] (35 seconds)
"And I think for some of us sometimes life can feel like using an outdated map. We pursue, or we chase after, what the world tells us matters. We strive, and we try to move forward as we try to live the quote-unquote normal life, and yet we end up frustrated, empty inside, and discontent." [00:01:26] (27 seconds)
"But I think that we can all agree that normal isn't working, because normal, by the world's standards, tells us that it's okay or good to be broke, to spend more than you have, to drown in debt to keep up with the neighbors, to scroll endlessly looking for relationships and connection, and yet you feel more alone more alone than ever. Normal numbs pain with binge shopping, binge watching, or bingeing on anything." [00:01:53] (34 seconds)
"Normal is being bitter, cynical, and never satisfied. Normal is anxious, stressed out, and fearful to a certain extent. Normal is discontent. Normal isn't working." [00:02:27] (20 seconds)
"And this is what Peter, the apostle, writes in his letter. He says that we are foreigners and exiles, that this world isn't our home, so stop acting like it is. He says, Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls." [00:03:15] (26 seconds)
"And as Brian read just a moment ago that Paul tells us in Philippians that we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior, right? Citizens of heaven, not earth. Citizens implies a political community, a state. It's not just a passive belonging, but it's an active participation in a different kingdom." [00:04:49] (34 seconds)
"As a citizen, it determines your allegiance, your values, your lifestyle, and where you are from influences how you talk, how you think, and what you do, right? It's like, for any of you who have traveled abroad, you know that when you step into another country that it's pretty easy to spot you as not a local, but rather as a either American or even more specifically a Texan, right? Because the way that you talk and the way that you go about things is influenced and shaped by where you're from." [00:05:35] (36 seconds)
"And yet, even though we know that we think differently, we desire differently, we live differently, that it doesn't just happen on its own, that it requires an intentional focus because the pull of the world is strong." [00:11:17] (19 seconds)
"It's like, or imagine you're taking your family to vacation at the beach, and you get your home base set up. You've got the blankets or the pillows, not the pillows, but the blankets. You've got the umbrellas. You've got the coolers. You've got the toys. You've got everything you need. So you grab your boogie board. Anybody like to boogie board? Just me. Okay. That's okay. You grab your boogie board. You hit the waves, and you ride the waves a few times. And as you look up, you're excited. You love it. And you want to make sure that the people back at the home base get to see how happy you are. But only, the only problem is that as you look up, you realize that the current has drifted you a couple hundred feet down the coast. And so now you are no longer near your home base." [00:11:34] (52 seconds)
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"And maps are great, especially when they have the current information. I want you to imagine that you are revisiting a former vacation spot, and the last time you were there, about 10 years ago, you remember eating this delicious meal at this little local spot. The ambiance was fantastic and memorable, and so you want to re-experience that on your current vacation." [00:00:23] (28 seconds)
"And so you pull out your map that you used on vacation 10 years ago, and you start charting your course, and you make the turns. The excitement is building. You're excited for what you're about to experience. And as you finally reach your destination, you realize that where the restaurant once stood is now someone's home. You get frustrated. You get upset. You blame the map, and yet the real issue is that the map, you were using a map that no longer applied." [00:00:50] (35 seconds)
"And I think for some of us sometimes life can feel like using an outdated map. We pursue, or we chase after, what the world tells us matters. We strive, and we try to move forward as we try to live the quote-unquote normal life, and yet we end up frustrated, empty inside, and discontent." [00:01:26] (27 seconds)
"But I think that we can all agree that normal isn't working, because normal, by the world's standards, tells us that it's okay or good to be broke, to spend more than you have, to drown in debt to keep up with the neighbors, to scroll endlessly looking for relationships and connection, and yet you feel more alone more alone than ever. Normal numbs pain with binge shopping, binge watching, or bingeing on anything." [00:01:53] (34 seconds)
"Normal is being bitter, cynical, and never satisfied. Normal is anxious, stressed out, and fearful to a certain extent. Normal is discontent. Normal isn't working." [00:02:27] (20 seconds)
"And this is what Peter, the apostle, writes in his letter. He says that we are foreigners and exiles, that this world isn't our home, so stop acting like it is. He says, Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls." [00:03:15] (26 seconds)
"And as Brian read just a moment ago that Paul tells us in Philippians that we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior, right? Citizens of heaven, not earth. Citizens implies a political community, a state. It's not just a passive belonging, but it's an active participation in a different kingdom." [00:04:49] (34 seconds)
"As a citizen, it determines your allegiance, your values, your lifestyle, and where you are from influences how you talk, how you think, and what you do, right? It's like, for any of you who have traveled abroad, you know that when you step into another country that it's pretty easy to spot you as not a local, but rather as a either American or even more specifically a Texan, right? Because the way that you talk and the way that you go about things is influenced and shaped by where you're from." [00:05:35] (36 seconds)
"And yet, even though we know that we think differently, we desire differently, we live differently, that it doesn't just happen on its own, that it requires an intentional focus because the pull of the world is strong." [00:11:17] (19 seconds)
"It's like, or imagine you're taking your family to vacation at the beach, and you get your home base set up. You've got the blankets or the pillows, not the pillows, but the blankets. You've got the umbrellas. You've got the coolers. You've got the toys. You've got everything you need. So you grab your boogie board. Anybody like to boogie board? Just me. Okay. That's okay. You grab your boogie board. You hit the waves, and you ride the waves a few times. And as you look up, you're excited. You love it. And you want to make sure that the people back at the home base get to see how happy you are. But only, the only problem is that as you look up, you realize that the current has drifted you a couple hundred feet down the coast. And so now you are no longer near your home base." [00:11:34] (52 seconds)
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