RIVERSIDE NOTES

Sermon: “Tired of Trying?”

Series: Below the Waterline: What’s Holding You Up?

Series key idea: Superficial focus and superficial analysis always leads to superficial temporary change.

What God is really about is inwardly transforming you and me to resemble Jesus more and more each day and not faking it (note Proverbs 10:9).

We need to talk about having the right motivation.

How can we do what’s best when we feel like it the least?

1.Failed Motivations

  1. Guilty feelings – the “ought-to” and “you should” of life. These feelings eventually rise to the level that we seek to alleviate them. Our motivation is just to relieve the guilty feelings.
  2. Selfish desires (note James 4:1-3)

So what are godly motivations for real and lasting change in our lives?

2.Our Personal Accountability to God

God is changing our lives; but from the moment we say “yes” to Jesus to the moment we stand before Him, there’s a judgment of our works (what we did with our time, money, gifts, relationships, etc., for Christ and His Kingdom).

Note 1 Corinthians 3:1-4

Our works (not our salvation) will be judged (note 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)…not only what we do, but the quality (the “why”).

For the things we’ve done for Jesus with the right motives, there will be a reward.

The rest will be burned up.

Note Matthew 12:36-37 and 2 Corinthians 5:10-11a

3.There’s Nothing Wrong with Rewards

The greatest motivational technique is a combination of negative consequences with positive reinforcement (note 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Galatians 6:7).

When we sow to the Spirit, follow after God, do things that may be hard, honor Him with our time, resources, abilities, develop healthy relationships that matter, etc., then life starts to work as God designed it to…

Note Philippians 1:6

“Self-control” (Galatians 5:23 - doing what we’re motivated to do doesn’t take much self-discipline…)

What’s below your waterline?

  • The reality is, what’s below our waterline (time, energy, focus) is producing exactly the results we’re getting.
  • Note 1 Corinthians 9:24-27…when it comes to your relationship with God, are you running “in such a way as to get the prize” (reward), or are you more of a spectator or just having an occasional “workout”?
  • Take our eyes off the 10% above our waterline that we try to change…and go below the waterline to your relationship with God…

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