Advice For God's New Creatures

Well, thank you again, gentlemen. Happy Sabbath to all of you. I think the sun is going to come out shortly, and it's going to be an inspiring and beautiful Sabbath day.

Well, we have among us some individuals who will be baptized during the next month or so, and we'll certainly announce that when it occurs. Perhaps one or two of them will be public, and we can all share joyfully in their baptism. At the same time, I've been thinking a lot about their future as new creatures in Christ, as they're all starting a new journey, discipleship, in their lives, and that's kind of exciting. At the same time, I've been thinking about my own conversion almost 47 years ago, and asking myself, if I only knew then what I know now, what would be different?

I asked myself, if someone would have taken the time and said, Greg, come over here, let's share a cup of coffee, let me give you some advice as you begin this new journey that you're on, and if someone would have given me advice at that time, what would they have told me? Today, and looking back at my personal experiences, and then looking forward to those who are starting a new Christian journey with their baptism, I'd like to offer some wisdom that I would share with someone if they asked me, looking back and looking forward, what advice do you have for this walk that I have?

What advice do you have with the things that you've experienced and you've seen and you've known and you've sensed in yourself? And that's what I'd like to talk about today, and I think by extension it's something that would obviously help all of us, whether we're looking forward to baptism or been baptized 10 years, 20 years, or 47 years. I'd like to offer some wisdom, and of course, with a strong foundation of daily prayer and study and meditation and regular fellowship, which is the umbilical cord of our relationship with the Father, that is how we are nourished, and that is how we send our products back to the Father, our needs and our desires, and He sends us wisdom and He feeds us with His Spirit.

It's like an umbilical cord that we have with God, and again, that includes daily prayer and study and meditation, regular fellowship and occasional fasting. But beyond those things, what are obviously some of the important bits of advice that I wish someone had mentioned to me many years ago I could have focused on a little better, and that I would mention to someone starting their journey of discipleship with Jesus Christ.

So I'm going to mention a number of them today. We're going to start with the first one, and that is to establish important goals and a real plan to achieve them. Establish important goals and a real plan to achieve them. Turn with me, if you would, to Philippians 3 and verse 13. I've seen an interesting dimension in the Church over the years, and that is sometimes people would come to the Church and they would be baptized, and they would just seem to back off, even if they had goals before, they seem to back off of their personal goals and begin to coast.

They just like flipped a switch on autopilot, and they may have come into the Church with a goal for a particular education, with goals to do certain things, to travel to certain locations, and they kind of gave those things up. And it's interesting that people do that. Philippians chapter 3 and verse 13, here's what Paul said.

He said, rather than I do not count myself to have apprehended, in other words, he said, I'm not there yet. I haven't achieved the prize of the upward calling of the God and Jesus Christ. I'm not there yet. He says, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things that are ahead. And how many times have we talked about not living in the past? That is important to say over and over again, to let it go and not to allow the past to pull us backward and to freeze our thinking in negativity and guilt and shame, because repentance takes away all of that.

He says, in reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I pressed toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul had a goal here. He said that he pressed towards that goal. It was important to him.

It was a stretch goal, and that goal was God's calling. And it's upward. It's positive. It looks to the future. That's why he said he was reaching forward. He said it was very important to him. Verse 15, Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. Let us have this goal. Let us press towards it. Let us be reaching forward, not looking backward. And if any of you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

He says you'll get it over a period of time. The importance of this over a period of time is what Paul is saying. A goal is an aim or a desired result. And this requires not just a destination, but it requires a plan to get to the desired result. Paul understood that our first and most important goal is that that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 6 and verse 33.

He said, But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, seek God's righteousness, and all these things that most people desire will be added to you. I want you to notice, remember what Jesus said. He said, seek first. He didn't say, seek only the kingdom of God. He didn't say, this is now your only goal and everything else you should just abandon. You should just float through life.

You should just allow time and chance to make all your decisions for you. And the only goal you need to have is seeking first the kingdom of God. He doesn't say that. He says, seek first. By implication, there's a second and a third and a fourth goal that you have in your life. What he's talking about is a matter of priority.

God created all of us to be unique. We are a bundle of underdeveloped potential. And the need to have goals comes from God. We are wired to be able to grow and develop by having goals.

Having goals is one of the ways or qualities in which we were created in God's image. Let's think about a few things. If you go to Genesis 2, God systematically created the world in six days. Step by step, he took a large goal creation of the world and he broke it down into steps. Six of them. And each following day built on what had been done the day before. Because God thinks in goals. God has a plan for his existence. He has a plan for our existence. He doesn't fly by the seat of his pants.

He doesn't coast. He's not an autopilot. He's not allowing time and chance to decide everything for him in his life. God is deciding. He is setting the goal. And step by step, he's achieving what his will is.

Take a look at Noah's ark, Genesis 6. In the chapters of 6-9, we see detailed destructions from God and how Noah was to build his ark. In chapter 6, verse 13, God said, and this is how you'll make it. And he goes about giving details to Noah how he would make the ark. God didn't say, well, I didn't think of that. Oh, this thing's got to float. I didn't consider that. No, God has a plan. He knows exactly what he's doing. He's not surprised. He's not caught unaware of anything. Noah worked in the ark for over 100 years to prepare it for the flood. If we were to look at Exodus, chapters 5-27, in chapters 35 and 40, God gave Moses detailed instructions how to design the tabernacle in the wilderness. What its size would be? What kind of fabrics would be used? What kind of images would be on the fabrics? God has a plan. He has a goal. We were created in God's image. If we want to get things done in our lives, if we want to take our lives to a higher spiritual level, we need to think like God thinks. This tabernacle is where God's presence would reside later when it was determined that God would have a temple in 1 Chronicles, chapter 28. It says, David gave Solomon the plans. That word is used a number of times in that chapter. The plans for the temple. David was a goal setter. He created a plan on what the temple would look like. He didn't fly by the seat of his pants. He didn't make it up as he went along. He didn't just hope everything would turn out okay. He had a personal plan because God is a planner. Do you know the church has a goal? We tend to call it the Great Commission, but Jesus Christ gave his church one primary goal. It doesn't mean the church doesn't have other goals. We certainly do. But he gave us one major goal. That's in Matthew, chapter 20, verse 19. It's very important. You know that God has been working on his most important goal for millennia? God has been working on a special goal for a long, long time. It's the goal to add spiritual sons and daughters to his immortal family. And that includes you and me. In Romans, chapter 8, verse 16, it says, "...the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs, heirs of God, and join heirs with Christ, if we suffer with him, that we may be glorified together." You see, brethren, God has great plans for his people. Because their glorification as his children is his most important goal. He's been working on it a long, long time before the foundation of the world. And one part, one step in that plan was for his son to come to this earth as a human being and live a perfect life and shed his blood as the Lamb of God to make our salvation possible. That was one of those steps that were required for God to achieve that goal.

Brethren, we need to have goals to prod us to reach forward to new growth and opportunities. Even if we're elderly, it can be something as simple as trying something new that we have an interest in, but never attempted. Is there a book? Maybe going back to our teen years or 20? I always wanted to read this particular book. What's stopping us from going to the library and stretching our lives and reading that book that we always wanted to read? They don't have to be big, hairy, audacious goals. They can be small goals. Things to stretch us, to stretch our thinking. It's just so very important. Our own procrastination will stop us from reaching our goals far more effectively than any external obstacle. It usually isn't something on the outside that's stopping us from reaching our goals. It's something happening on the inside, and that typically is procrastination. We can start today by taking one baby step towards a new goal, and then tomorrow, take another baby step towards it. It may not require a lot of time. It may not even require a lot of effort, but one step tomorrow, one step today after that, it doesn't have to be much, but it can be something, even something small, every day. Having a consistent effort is the key. Remember to have important goals, and to plan to achieve them. Work in them constantly. Break down a big goal into small stepping stones, and just take it one step at a time. Remember, we covered in March about development of a personal mission statement. That was a sermon given on March 17th. And that was our overall mission, and all of those goals should emanate after we've completed our personal mission statement. We should have goals that are in concert with what we stated our overall mission is about. The second bit of advice I would give someone ties into the first, but it's a little bit different, and that is refuse to live a mediocre life. Now, what does this mean? It means we're going to have to step outside of our comfort zone. We're going to have to realize that the greatest pleasures in life include some degree of risk. Most things worth having require a short-term loss to achieve a long-term reward. Anything worth having in life requires a sacrifice to achieve it. First of all, that sacrifice will help you to appreciate it more once you get it. If you don't have to sacrifice, you won't appreciate it. You won't really care. Most likely, you'll probably think you're entitled to it. Happiness is not about avoiding painful things in life, and that's one of the issues that I see with our American culture today. Everyone's trying to avoid the hard things. They don't want to talk about the difficult issues. They don't want to deal with the difficult things, the painful things. They want to avoid it. Happiness is about chasing our dreams and aspirations with enthusiasm. It's not a final destination. It's part of the journey. Joy, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit, should be something that we experience in the journey of discipleship. It's not something that's intended for some day when that kingdom arrives. Then I'll be joyful. We are intended to be joyful as part of the journey.

That's so very important. Let's go to Colossians chapter 3 and verse 22. Colossians chapter 3 and verse 22.

Paul, in context, is talking about what a Christian's attitude should be when they're a bondservant, but this is certainly applicable to everything that we do. As we'll read here again in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 22. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily.

He's saying whatever you do, and this certainly goes beyond just being a bondservant. It can be being an employee. It can be enjoying a hobby. It can be serving in the church. Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart. Do it with passion. Do it with enthusiasm. Refuse to live a mediocre life. Enjoy the things that you do and put your heart into it. I'm going to read this verse from the translation of God's Word for today. Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, as though you were working for your real master and not merely humans.

Do we have a passion about the things that we do? Do we get excited about the tasks that are ahead of us? About our mission in life? About growing? About developing ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we do that wholeheartedly? Are we excited about it? Do we look at it as a godly challenge? Or are we coasting? Are we just on autopilot? Everything we do, every task, can be done to give glory to God as an ambassador for Jesus Christ. It's so easy to get into a rut, isn't it? Ruts are comfortable. Ruts are safe. In a rut, you don't even have to think very much. You can, indeed. Just get on autopilot and go through the motions. And yes, I get up and I have two cups of coffee and I go to the bathroom and I have breakfast. And kind of one day is just like the other. It's like the movie Groundhog Day. Right? Over and over again. Same old, same old. We don't even have to think about it. It's almost like we just do it robotically. Being in a rut is unchallenging, but there is little, if any, growth while we're living in a rut. God knows that. That's why He gives us trials. That's why He looks down upon us occasionally and says, I think I need to shake it up a little bit for Thomas. Being a little too comfortable there. He's been quiet too long, relaxed, enjoying his gardening. Time for a trial. Time to shake that person up a little bit. That's exactly what God does. Brother and a ship is safe in a harbor, but that's not what ships were built for. They were designed to sail in choppy waters. We weren't designed to just sit at home and watch old Bugs Bunny episodes all the time on free TV. Yeah, that's easy. That's safe. It might bring back a lot of wonderful childhood memories, since if you're like me, Bugs Bunny had such a powerful influence in your life.

But you're not going to grow by doing that. You're not going to take your life through the power of God's Spirit to another level. Let's go ahead now and look at Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 23. If you'll turn there with me. Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 23. Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 23. It says, In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty. I'm going to read this again from the translation of God's Word for today. It says, In hard work there is always something gained, but idle talk leads only to poverty. We were wired to do things. When you labor, particularly when you do something with your hands, there's a sense of satisfaction. At the end of the day, you look at it and you say this piano was repaired. The garden was weeded. The light works. The room was painted green. Whatever it is, there's something about working with our hands, being task oriented, in which it's profitable. It's fulfilling. Why? Because that's the way God is, and we were created in His image. This is in contrast to an old saying that I remembered that says something like this. It says, When all is said and done, much more will be said than is ever done. Is that how it is in our life? There's a natural fulfillment that comes from actually achieving things. Tasks, hobbies, having a career that we enjoy, doing good works for others, serving other people. There's a natural fulfillment that comes from doing those things. When it comes to most tasks, we can either choose to talk a good game or we can choose to actually do it. And when we're saying we're going to do something, we should do it. We should keep our promises. We should keep our commitments. Philippians 4 and 12. Let's take a look at this scripture. Philippians 4 and 12. Paul says something very powerfully here, and he really means it.

And he does not make this statement because everything's going well for Paul. He doesn't make this statement because life is good, and he's loved, and he feels loved, and he's healthy, and everything is just going great. That's not why he makes this statement at all.

In contrast, he's going through some very difficult things when he makes this statement in his life. Philippians 4 and 12. I know how to be abased. He says, and I know how to abound. So he says, I've learned to be content. Whether it's good days or bad days, wonderful times, or times of stress and trouble, I've learned to be content in any of those situations.

Verse 13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So what does Paul really mean when he makes this statement here? Well, Paul himself was weak. He was carnal. He was limited. He had a physical thorn in the flesh that he said he prayed about three times, and God chose not to heal him. But he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12 and 9.

I'm reading through the New Century version. But he, God said to me, My grace is enough for you when you are weak. My power is made perfect in you. So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses, said Paul. Then Christ power can live in me. You see, when Paul said that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, he was dealing with a physical illness that never went away. A physical limitation. Paul had spiritual weaknesses and challenges in his life.

He wasn't always loved by his congregations, like Corinth, for example. So he had these limitations. But in spite of that, with the Spirit of God dwelling in him, the Apostle Paul was transformed into a dynamo.

He said, I can do it. I can do anything. Not because it's me, not because I'm better than anyone else, not because I'm special. I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me. And of course, the Spirit of Jesus Christ was dwelling inside of the Apostle Paul. Brethren, do we feel the same way? Or are we just dwelling on our limitations? Are we dwelling on our carnality?

Are we dwelling on our weaknesses and not realizing that God gave us the most powerful, energetic force of the universe? Within us, when hands were laid on our head and a prayer was made that we would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Another bit of advice I would have, and this has been one that I have really struggled with, I'm going to make myself vulnerable here. I'm going to tell you that this has been very difficult for me. Of all the things that I'm going to mention today, I wish someone would have had this talk with me. And here it is. Don't try to control everything.

Don't try to control everything. The reality is that having control over events and people is an illusion. If you try to control everything, you will quickly become frustrated and angry. Instead of that, remember that the only thing you can reliably control is your own reaction to the things that are going on around you and inside you. To have command of yourself is a much more reliable source of personal fulfillment than trying to control everything and trying to control everyone around you. Let's go to 1 Chronicles 29 and see a statement made about the glory of God.

1 Chronicles 29. We'll pick it up here in verse 11. 1 Chronicles 29. Beautiful Scripture. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, and the glory, the victory, and the majesty for all that is in heaven and in earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head overall.

Both riches and honor come from you, and you reign overall. In your hand is power and might. In your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank you and praise you for your glorious name. Brethren, God alone is in control of the universe. He doesn't need our opinion and our judgment to function. He doesn't need us to be His police force.

Everything that happens in this world is due to something that He either allows or, on the other hand, something that may be directly according to His will. Only He is in control. Now what He does want us to do is let go of our own self-will. He does want us to let go of our stubbornness. He does want us to let go of our need to try to control everything in our lives. That's something very important to God, that He wants us to give up and turn over to Him and to acknowledge that only He is in control.

As ambassadors for Christ, our role is to publicly and privately demonstrate a godly life using the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In this dark world, our lights should be a bright, warm glow that influences others in a positive way. I don't know about you, but in my lifetime, every light that I've ever had that made an irritating noise was going bad.

If it was humming, if it was making some irritating noise and it was supposed to be a light, it was going bad.

There might be a lesson behind that. Romans 8, verse 28. If you turn there with me. Romans 8, verse 28.

Paul writes here to the congregation in Rome. For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose, for whom He foreknew, He also predestined. That means He determined beforehand to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. So we are His firstfruits. Moreover, whom He predestined. Again, that means those whom He determined to call beforehand. These He also called. Whom He called? These He also justified. And whom He justified? These He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things if God is for us who can be against us? It's God that justifies us, makes us just and righteous in His sight. God is constantly working behind the scenes in ways that we don't even comprehend or perceive because we are limited physical beings. God is working out something wonderful in our lives. Yes, we'll make mistakes. And yes, we may see or even experience some terrible things. But God is always present in those experiences to cultivate change and growth in us. If we love God and are called according to His purpose, everything that we experience, both good and bad, helps to transform us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. When you are a child of God, nothing is wasted. The mistakes you made at one point in your life, it's not wasted. It's helped to make you what you are today. And hopefully, by the negativity of it and the pain of it, it's helped take you to another level. Even the mistakes we make and the negative things we've experienced can make us spiritually wiser and more patient, more forgiving of others, more compassionate of others. Knowing this, that God is working behind the scenes and that all things work together for good, which means nothing is wasted. Knowing that. How silly and frustrating it is to try to control events. And people around us. Let God deal with them. Let God deal with those events.

I always find it interesting in the world that we live in today. People read the newspapers and they get aggravated. They read something in the newspapers. Let me assure you of one thing. And it doesn't really matter whether you politically are on the progressive side or the conservative side or somewhere in between.

I can assure you that every day some judge is going to declare something that's going to upset you. Every day some politician is going to say something that's going to irritate you. That's going to be against your values. To be against your beliefs. Don't let that eat at you. Don't let that tear you apart. You can't control it. You cannot control the world that we live in today.

The only solution is the kingdom of God on earth. Until then, our job is to be lights and examples of faith and morality, of the values that we find in scriptures, and not allow ourselves to get upset because we are trying to control an agenda that is going on in our world and in our nation today. Another bit of advice that I would give someone who was being baptized is avoid blaming others.

Avoid blaming others. Nothing great ever comes from blaming or accusing others. The way to really be spiritually mature is to be accountable for your actions and responsible for the consequences of your own actions. And I realize that takes a level of spiritual maturity to do that. Galatians 6 and 4. Paul wrote here to the congregation in Galatia. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another, for each one shall bear his own load.

So when we do something wrong, are we accepting accountability for it? Are we being responsible or are we blaming others? As a business coach, I sometimes tease people when I work with organizations that they have a company logo, and the company logo is something like this.

Everyone's blaming someone else for all the problems in the company. Is that the way we are, brethren? I'm going to read this verse from God's word for today. Each one of you must examine your own actions, then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourselves to others. Assume your own responsibility. Again, that's from the translation of God's word for today. Blaming others is a hindrance to genuine repentance. And the first thing that needs to happen for any positive change that takes place is to accept our own responsibility, to accept our own actions and personal responsibilities for the mistakes that we make.

If we don't do that, then nothing good happens. It's like dealing with someone who's got a substance abuse issue. If they refuse to admit they have a substance abuse issue, you're not going to get anywhere with them. It all begins with accepting accountability. Accepting personal responsibility. Then the forgiveness can happen. Then the repentance can lead to healing.

Then wonderful things can occur, but nothing happens if we're dodging our own accountability and responsibility by blaming an organization or a minister or my spouse or my boss or my dog. Nothing happens if we're blaming someone or something else for everything. To avoid accepting responsibility, people tend to blame one of three things. And here they are. The first one is circumstances. It's not really my fault. It was a circumstance. In Matthew 8, verse 21, Jesus was prepared to offer something very wonderful to one of his disciples.

And it says here in verse 21, then another of his disciples said to him, Lord, let me go first and bury my father. But Jesus said to him, follow me and let the dead bury their own dead. What's he doing? Well, I can't give you total commitment, Jesus, because of the circumstances. My dad died. So let me go and bury my dad, and I'll get back to you on that.

I'll get back to you in your offer of apostleship. What's he doing? He's blaming circumstances. And we do that all the time, brethren. That's just not a good thing to do. It holds us back. Another thing that people blame are other people. Going all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 and verse 12, Adam said, quote, the woman. You know, why did you eat that apple, Adam?

The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate it. It's not really my fault. Actually, if you read this closely, he's blaming the woman and God because he says, the woman whom you gave me, I didn't ask for.

I just woke up with this pain in my side. Oh, man. And there she was. And she expects me to talk to her. So, in essence, he's blaming, of course, the woman, and he's also subliminally blaming God for him eating the apple. That's what we do. We blame people. And then, unfortunately, we also tend to blame God when things go wrong. We get angry, we get frustrated.

We may not verbally say, I blame God, but our actions, our attitudes show that we're bitter against God. That happens a lot. Going back to Matthew, chapter 25, verse 24, you may recall the person who received one talent.

When Jesus Christ came back in the parable, the person with one talent said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown in gathering, where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground, and look, there you have what is yours. In essence, he's blaming God. God, you're uncaring. I knew you to be stern, hard. You have rules. It's your fault, God. You made me afraid. And that's why I didn't do anything with the talent that you gave. Let's go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 7 and verse 8.

Because real progress can occur in our lives when we understand that we need to be accountable for our own actions, and we need to be responsible for the things that we say and do. And there's a power behind that when we make a mistake, and that power is repentance, because repentance results in growth. It results in some wonderful things. 2 Corinthians, chapter 7 and verse 8. In this comment here, Paul had written in 1 Corinthians, he was very corrective of the brethren in Corinth. Very hard in them in 1 Corinthians. We've been going through it in our Bible study for the last couple of years.

So this second letter was his response. They came back and someone told him how they responded to his first letter. So he's making comments here. We're in 2 Corinthians, chapter 7 and verse 8. For even if I made you sorry with my letter, and that letter is 1 Corinthians, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. Meaning when I wrote it, I said to myself, this is pretty stern, this is pretty hard stuff.

For I perceived that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.

And here's the key, he says in verse 10. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation. Not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death. So again, Paul here is pleased to see that the Corinthian church had gone just beyond being sorry for their conduct, but he saw a change of repentance attitude. And why is godly sorrow so important? It's because only then can forgiveness and healing and change begin to take place. But none of that happens if we're dodging it. None of that happens if we're passing the blame off on another person, on another circumstance, or blaming God for something that we're responsible for.

When we blame others or circumstances, we dodge our accountability. Then when we do that, we don't see any need to repent, because it's always someone else's fault, it's always due to circumstances, and good things can't happen if we're always blaming something or someone else for our problems or for the things that we're dealing with. Another bit of advice I would give someone is don't try to be something you are not.

Don't try to be something you are not. Why do so many people want to be something or someone they are not? What would it take to be happy with who you are and to celebrate your own gifts and talents? Brethren, we shouldn't compare ourselves to anyone else. Look into your heart and see who you are and build on that foundation. And I know it's an uphill battle, because we live in a culture where we want to idolize entertainers. We even ask them for their political views. Well, they tell us whether we want to hear it or not, usually. If you want to idolize athletes, if you play with a ball and if you make millions and millions of dollars, we want to put a microphone.

Kids want to grow up to be an entertainer. Kids want to grow up to be an athlete. Kids want to grow up to own their own company. And having goals, again, are fine and wonderful. But don't try to be something you are not. It only causes frustration. Let's go to 1 Samuel 17, verse 33. I have read this scripture before in a sermon a while back, but I want to emphasize it again, because it's very important. 1 Samuel 17, verse 33. And the reason I want to read this is because your calling is unique. God wants you to become the best version of yourself whom God made you to be.

He doesn't want you to be anyone else's clone. 1 Samuel 17, verse 33. Then Saul said to David, David is anticipating going and fighting the giant Koliath. You were not able to go against a Philistine to fight with him, for you're a kid, you're a youth, and he's a man of war from his youth. You're just a kid, and since he was your age years ago, he's been killing people, he's been violent his whole life. You don't have a chance. But David said to Saul, you see, David has the Apostle Paul's attitude, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He's not like Saul.

We already see a difference in perspectives here. And David said to Saul, Your servant used to keep his father sheep, and when a lion or a bear came out and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and I delivered the lamb from its mouth, and when it arose against me, I caught it by his beard and struck it and killed it.

Verse 36, Your servant has killed both lion and bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing that he has defied the armies of the living God. Verse 37, Moreover, David said, The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion, and from the paw of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you. So Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a bronze helmet on his head.

He also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor, and he tried to walk, for he had not tested them. He didn't use them previously. And David said to Saul, I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.

So David took them off, and he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch in which he had. And a sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. We'll stop right there, because my point is already made in what we read. Many religious people try to fit everyone into the same jello mold.

You know what a jello mold is? You warm up jello, you're boiling it, you have this mold, and you pour green in this one, blue in this one, yellow, and it cools off, and you pull the mold off, and they all look alike. But that's not what God is doing with us. Yes, we should all conform to an obey God's law, but beyond that, there is an unlimited amount of diversity and variety that God created in human personalities, in their talents, in creativity, in our own personal missions.

It is not God's goal that we all dress alike, wear the same colors, look alike, talk alike, act alike. God wants us to be the best version of ourselves that He created us to be through the power of His Holy Spirit. David wasn't called to be Saul's clone.

He wasn't called to be Saul. He was called to be himself, and that is the young man David. And that's why he went and did what he knew to do, and that was to take the stones out of the brook, rather than trying to fight with armor that was uncomfortable to him. For him to be anything other than he was created to be would have been fake. That's a word you don't hear much in our world today.

So, brethren, the same is true of us. Our goal should be the best version of ourselves that we can be through the power of God's Holy Spirit. Not everyone is called to be a minister, a deacon, a deaconess, a speaker. Not everyone is called to be a parent. Not everyone is called to be a leader or an entertainer. Not everyone is called to be an athlete or called to be wealthy. Not everyone is past physical beauty. Not everyone is self-employed. We all have unique individual callings, and God's will for us has become the best version of whom God made us to be. Never lose sight of that, nor compromise on your personal mission in order to just please other people.

Another bit of advice I would give someone is avoid constant complaining. Avoid constant complaining. One of the most destructive personality traits that will hold us back from personal growth is constant complaining. Did you have the privilege this morning of actually waking up in a bed that was above ground? You know, there were many people in Planet Earth last night who slept in the ground. Or maybe a little straw or something thrown on the ground, and they were on top of that straw. Do you have shelter? Do you have food every day to eat? Don't take these things of life for granted. Be grateful for all of life's blessings, the blessings of food and health, the relationships that God has given us. Your calling, your mind, your heart. When you catch yourself complaining, take a moment to look around you. Gratitude for the things that we do have. Philippians 2, 14. Let's go there quickly. Look in chapter 2, 14.

Paul wrote here, do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless. Children of God, without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Paul says, I have a lot of investment in you as a congregation and Philippi. Do all things without complaining, without disputing. One of the darkest, one of the most negative aspects of human nature is our rapid ability to forget all that we do have so soon and to complain about what we don't have or don't like. It's very destructive. It robs us of personal contentment and can create an ongoing cycle of self-sabotage in everything that we attempt to do. You may recall, we won't turn to the Scriptures, the classic lesson from ancient Israel there in Exodus chapter 15. You may recall that they crossed the Red Sea and they're celebrating and Mariam has the timbals and they're dancing and everyone's doing high fives. Yay, God! God is good! Everyone's excited. And three days later, it says, And the people complained against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? That's verse 24 of the 15th chapter.

So classic, but so typically human.

The lack of water followed by discovering bitter-tasting water was a test from God. That's what the Scripture says. God tested them in verse 25. He wanted to witness their attitude and their faithfulness. Wasn't this the same God who received worship, singing and dancing a few days earlier from all of them? And now they're complaining. You go on to the 16th chapter and it says, This is like a month later. They departed from the land of Egypt and the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron and the wind. Oh, we miss Egypt. It was so good when we were whipped every day. So good when we were told when to get up and when to go to sleep and when we could take a break. Oh, we missed that. They had this idealized version of what life was like in Egypt. It's amazing. Truly amazing. Their ingratitude distorted what life had really been like in Egypt and what God had done for them during the past month. What had God done? You know, just to tell you a quick story. This happened to me at a sales meeting once. We had like a record month in June. Sales meeting. Congratulations, all of you. We had a record month. This company has never had a June this good. We'd like to thank each and every one of you.

We're in the first week of July and sales are down a little bit. So what have you done for me lately? And this is kind of the way Israel is. A month earlier, he protected their firstborn from the death angel. He allowed them to plunder the Egyptians of material goods as they're leaving Egypt. He helped them to safely cross the Red Sea. He gave them permanent freedom from human slavery.

He provided drinkable water in three days. And less than a month later, after crossing that sea, what are they doing? The whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. Don't allow this, brethren, to be a trap for yourself. Don't fall into this same trap. It will stall out your marriage because your spouse doesn't want to hear you complaining all the time. It's irritating. It's emotionally exhausting. It'll stall out your marriage. It'll stall out your career. No one wants to promote someone who's whining and complaining all the time.

They don't want you to be a leader of a department, a manager or a supervisor, if all we do is complain constantly. And it'll destroy our faith. So this is one thing that we should truly avoid. One final thing that I'd like to talk about today as we conclude this sermon, if you'll turn to 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 3. One more thing. Today we've looked at some important attitudes and concepts to both embrace if we were being baptized, to think about, and also we've talked about some things to avoid in our conversation. Our walk with God is a journey, and the best way to stay on the right path is to stay connected with our Father through prayer and study and fellowship with our brothers and sisters.

And that indeed is true. Make sure that you attend every Sabbath service and fellowship with those of like mind, those who are here for you. There's one thing that I would like to mention, kind of my final point. 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 3. Paul was writing to the Corinthians, but I fear less somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

This is really important. And I've been challenged with this with dozens of people who have left the church over the years of some strange doctrine or new doctrine or personal agenda they had, and they send me literature, or they call me, or someone who's following them calls me. But I fear less somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so that your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Beware of religious hucksters and charlatans who have a special doctrine. Oh, we have a new doctrine. We'll have all things in common. Send me your money.

Send me the mortgages to your home, because I have a revelation. And what is mine is mine. What is yours is mine. That's a new doctrine I have. Or we'll idolize this prayer rock, a rock that some minister might have knelt on 70 years ago, and we're going to idolize that rock and make doctrine out of it. Beware of religious hucksters and charlatans who have a special doctrine or a distorted ego, or who attempt to control your life. Only one being in the universe has the right to control your life, and that's God.

That's the only being that has the right to control your life. Christianity is really very simple. It is faith, commitment, obedience, repentance, accepting God's grace, and that results in a natural spiritual growth that produces good works. It's not really that complicated. People, because they have an agenda, because they have a need to be number one, because they have a need to feel special, because they have a need to feel important, who want to take the simplicity that is in Christ and make it something else.

Beware! It's happened, I've seen it happen continually in my 47 years, dozens of times, and I'm sure it will continue, because the last time I checked, human nature isn't any different than it was 47 years ago. Beware of those who want to make your discipleship harder than God commands, or that God ever intended. I've noticed that either during their lifetimes or immediately after their lifetimes, everything they do comes to nothing. That's what I've learned from that scenario. So today, looking back at my personal experiences and looking forward to those of you who will be starting a new Christian journey with your baptism, I hope you will accept this wisdom.

Again, it's some of the things that I wish I would have thought about more deeply, perhaps been told, been emphasized 47 years ago when I was starting my journey of faith. It would have saved me some heartache. It would have saved me from spinning my wheels, doing certain things. It would have helped me to be filled with more of the blessings of God's grace. Be sure to have a wonderful and fulfilling Sabbath day.