Are You Holy Motivated?

The title of my split sermon today is, Are You Holy Motivated? Are You Holy Motivated?

Only wholly motivated, but wholly motivated. The Greek word, holy, that's been translated is, to Greek, is hagios, H-A-G-I-O-S, hagios. And it actually means sacred, different from the rest, set apart, dedicated. It also can mean a saint, saint. That is what many of the Scriptures in the New Testament call individuals who God is working with, who God has given or granted the Holy Spirit. They're called saints.

So I ask you, are you wholly motivated? The word motivated, or motivate, in our language it comes from a Latin word, motivus. Motivus, and it is an adjective which means strongly driven to succeed or to achieve something. The synonym in our language today in English is the word enthusiasm. Enthusiasm comes from the Greek word, enthusiasm. Enthusiasm. And in the Greek it meant inspired or possessed by a God, inspired or possessed by a God. The etymology, where the word came from is theos, as in enthusiasm, enthú, in being God within.

So it was believed at that time that someone that had enthusiasm has been translated today, had God within them, that they were speaking for God, or they were motivated by God.

Which brings me back to the question, are you wholly motivated? From there, are you just wholly motivated by everything else in this world? What motivates you? I hope it's God.

I hope the world has less ways to motivate you than what this book does. This is where we should be motivated by God working with us, by God teaching us. But we have to answer that question because we're so human. Every one of us is so human. We see that every year at Passover as we examine ourselves. But every one of us, we can be, have been, or maybe even will be motivated by various things of this world.

By money. Money. Money motivates so many people. Everyone it seems today has their price. They can be bought. Money causes good people to become bad people. Money isn't the root of all evil. It is a root of evil, as the scripture says. And each one of us can be tempted by money. You know, isn't it interesting the older we get, the less we're motivated by money?

For one thing, we know we can't take it with us. But we realize that it's not going to buy happiness. It's not going to fill the hole in each and every one of us. There was an 88 year old man robbed a bank in California. He went to the teller, had a mask on, put his hand in his pocket, then handed her this basket and said, I need $5,000.

That's all he asked. Of course, she was told do what they do, what they asked don't cause any problems. He got the $5,000, walked out, walked out of the bank, took off his mask, at which there was a camera there, you know exactly who he was. Within eight hours they tracked him down, came to his little old efficiency apartment.

And they asked, why did you rob this bank for $5,000? He said all I wanted was enough money to get a new TV set and be able to pay for my cable for the next three years. He said, that's all that's left in my life. Money, money can mess with your mind. I've known some friends who became very wealthy, who then became unhealthy because it ruined them. It changed them and not for the better. So being motivated by money isn't always the dream everybody thinks.

If I win the lottery, there's books, there's movies, there's TV shows, documentaries on those who have won the lottery and you see the majority, they went back to being as poor as they were. They just spent it all. If you're motivated by money, chances are you're still going to be empty. Are you motivated by love? Seen this many times. People are motivated thinking, if I find the right woman, I'll be happy. If I find the right man, my life will turn and be great.

And don't, or haven't we all heard the stories of people finding that one person and it's happily ever after, it's the fairy tale. But too many times it is just a fairy tale because we seek to find love as a country song in all the wrong places. Love's not going to get you there. A person that you think is going to complete you, as Tom Cruise says in his movie, but they were selling movies because life is real. It doesn't fill the hole.

Now for those of you who, those of us who have lost people in our lives, we realize there's a hole and we love to have the whole field. But most won't do that. God knows that he made the husband and the wife so that they would love each other till the end of their time. That's what he asks. That's about the best you're going to get. But it's not going to fill the hole.

And then there is power. Many people, especially men, are motivated by power. I have seen it whether it's been in sports, politics, religion. They're motivated by power. They need to feel like they're up here. And they feel like they'll be somebody if they have power. It's the exact opposite of what Jesus Christ taught his disciples. He said, I want you to be what? Powerful? No. He wants you to be servants. This is what he wants us to be. Humble servants. He said, I don't want you to be like the rest of it.

Who rule over people? They're looking to be something. They're looking to domineer or to dominate or to show their superiority. No. God asked us to look at power for one thing. His. His power. Look to him for your power. He is the power. He is the strength that we need. And many of us will learn that over time. Things that were so important to us. Older you get, the less important really is. But no one could tell me that in my twenties and thirties. I speak from experience. I wrote down goals in my twenties. One of the first one was money.

This is how much I want to make by the time I'm thirty. By the time I'm forty. This is what I want to have. This is actually the car I want to drive. And you know, by my thirties, I had accomplished those. Drove the exact car and I hadn't even looked at it for five years. Did it make me any happier? No. It got me from one place to another. Just like any other car. The money. I got to pay a whole lot more taxes.

I got to have insurance on top of insurance to protect the myself and the umbrella. And it's just like Solomon talked about. And then there's the one thing today.

That motivates more young people than anything else. Fame. Fame. Here is the most famous woman probably in the world today.

A young teenage girl from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Thirty miles from. From where I lived. Knew when she was trying to make it, singing it. Kmart's and Walmart parking lots. Trying to be somebody. Now she's famous. Now they said she's. Worth. Over a billion dollars. And maybe up to a hundred billion. They don't know. But young people want fame. And I was always amazed because I did work for. Singers, country singers. Might have been one that wasn't, but. It was amazing how they. Looked at they were famous. And they looked for people to look at them.

If you went out to eat with them, people came over and wanted their autograph. If you happen to be somewhere where they were, it's like. And they liked it. Until after about 30 years of it. And they had no privacy. It's amazing how many of them just like. Let's just go here or we can talk. It's interesting to me that a report just came out. Last week. And they ask young people. Don't know who did the poll. It was rather large poll. They asked young people from age 12 to 18.

What you most want to be. And they did the same poll for the last 70 years. And the same five showed up. May have been different positions, but the same five showed up all for the last 70 years until now.

The teacher. William people actually want to be teachers. Policemen. Firemen. A doctor and a lawyer. Those five have been there. They may have changed positions during the last 70 years, but they were always there.

And the last report. Of the five, the number one. All those 12 to 18 said they wanted to be. A social influencer. A social influencer. Anybody know, everybody not know what that is. There are influencers where they social media where people come and they come to their website and they get to see what they're saying what they're doing. And if you go and see the top social personalities, social media personalities, you'll get a big grip.

On exactly what it is.

Didn't exist. Ten years ago. But it's the number one because everybody wants this. Everybody wants fame. All the young people want fame. Because with fame, they think money comes. Power comes.

Love will come because everybody loves you.

Except those that want to try to assassinate her. If that has happened a few times, they've caught people trying to.

Sneak into her places.

And then. Where's the last one? Knowledge. Does knowledge motivate you?

Harvard University.

It's a place of knowledge. Frank, you're from there. Are you a Harvard man?

That's what they said.

Harvard. It's you can impress people if you say you're from a certain university. Harvard. Yale.

Tennessee never carried that kind of. Respect. But even in the state of Tennessee, it was.

Where my wife worked was Middle Tennessee State University, the largest by number university in the state. But it was considered way down because there was bond a bill university. And then there was UT and then there was Middle Tennessee State University.

People. Liked having that respect that I went to a higher institution of learning and it was one of these great ones.

Hmm. Does God care? Looks like when Christ was walking on this earth that he went to choose some fishermen.

Some less educated individuals. Because he had a job for them to do.

And he told him I'm going to choose the week in the base. So that when these people are raised from the base to higher level, people know it's because of God, not themselves.

It's his plan. It'll be his plan, I think, forever.

But today, as I. Finish the sermon.

I want to give us a major motivator. I'm not going to say a I want to say the I want to use a definite article. The the major motivator for us.

We all know.

Matthew six thirty three. Seek first kingdom of God and his righteousness and all this other stuff will fall into place.

But. If I were to choose the week in the base to get the right to choose the week in the base, I would tell young people and I have a sermon coming down the road for young people for Lauderdale since we have quite a few.

And so I'm going to talk about this money, love, power, fame and knowledge that. Is in their minds.

And I want to take them to a scripture that's all they have to do is one thing and they can have it all.

Yes. They can be wealthy beyond belief.

They can have the love. It's out of this world.

They can have power beyond belief. Fame never seen before and knowledge to blow people's minds. And it's the same for you and it's the same for me. That's why I give this message today.

Because sometimes we can look back. And say as we get older, well, maybe I should have done this. Maybe I should have done that.

Maybe I didn't reach my potential.

If I had.

But if.

And we can tend to say that as we get older. As long as God's in charge of our lives, as long as he will, we let him be in charge of our life. We will fulfill the destiny. That's greater than any can be accomplished.

On this earth.

If it was so great, why do famous people commit suicide? Rich people commit suicide. Smart people commit suicide. Powerful people commit suicide.

Do they just want to end it so quickly?

Because they look and there's a big hole.

And they thought they could feel the whole. With everything they dreamed of.

I experienced it. I was a little bit tired. I experienced that and I think a lot of people have in smaller degrees.

Oh, if I if I only get that job. Then I'll be I'll make money. I'll be happy.

I can get the girl of my dreams. I can drive the car.

No. No. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all this will be given all these will be fulfilled. But let's go to the. Place just a few verses. That. Will explain it all to us. Go to First John three. First John three. New King James version. And I'll read here.

It's for you and for me and it should be the major motivator of everything when we get up in the morning when we go to bed at night. This has to be the motivator. Nothing can get in our way.

Chapter three verse one. Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us. See he does love us. That's why he's called us. It's why he's called us out of this world. Has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. We're actually called his children. We're part of the family part of the inheritance.

Therefore the world does not know us. We're not famous. Because it. Did not know him.

A love of the father. Children of God.

So it's asking the question. Who's your daddy. Who's your daddy. Am I your daddy.

Is God our father.

Because he wants his children.

He wants us.

Verse two. Beloved. You think he just throws that word out. But we're loved of him. Beloved. Now we are the children of God. Not just called the children of God. But John is telling us we are the children of God. And it has not yet been revealed. What we shall be.

Do we know. Yes. But. Has anyone seen that yet. Not really. Other than a few disciples of saw Jesus Christ in his glorified state. And when do they see it.

On the transfiguration.

They saw what will be. In glorified state. Has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he is revealed when Jesus Christ comes back in glory and power. We shall be like him. Glory. Power. For we shall see him as he is. In his glorified state Moses had to get behind a rock and then just look at a little sliver. Otherwise he'd been blinded.

Killed. That powerful.

We can go back.

When he's revealed will be revealed as that with all the power and glory. That is a child of God. Verse three and everyone who has this open him purifies himself. You realize you have to be different. You can't be like everyone else.

Just as he Jesus Christ is pure. How is he pure. How is he pure.

Those four books. In the New Testament tell you how pure he is and what we have to do how we should act how we should talk how we should think how we should treat other people.

And as I said this morning it's about others. We need the mentality of when Christ was on earth it was I'm third. I'm third. There's God. There's others and then there's me. That was Christ mindset. And he wants us to have that mindset too. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you. Love one another.

Have to. Even with their spots and wrinkles.

Christ loved us even.

When we were sinners.

So let's go over as I begin to close this. The sermon. I want to go to Proverbs read from the New Living Translation Proverbs 16 Proverbs 16. Where's two.

People may be pure in their own eyes but the Lord examines their motives. You think you're righteous. You think you have it figured out. You think you can do it on your own. Well you can't.

People may be pure in their own eyes and boy do we sometimes think that. But the Lord examines their motives. Because there's motives. How are you motivated. Are you holy. H.O.L.Y. motivated. Are you. W.H.O.L.L.Y. I just need more stuff. I need to be whole. This is what he wants. This is what I have to do. This is what you have to do. There's no there's no difference in what God asked me to do and what he asked you to do. Other than. Me spending my whole time making sure that I can help people.

That's what I've been told to do. We all still have to pray. We have studied the Bible. I have stand up here every week. I teach.

But other than that the core is what he wants. And that is the one single solitary thing we all have in common and we must. Must have that is we're all to.

Be in the image of Jesus Christ.

Just be like Christ.

Be a Christ like person.

When you find out how big a job it is. You realize. You need to be motivated to do it.

The pure.

Let's go to the last verse commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed. Don't leave him out of your plants. You will fail.

Get him involved. He wants. To be involved.

A father wants to see his son and daughter succeed. I think of that when I started my company at age 32.

And my father. Physical father wanted to be involved. Let me help you. I said I'm I'm good. I have employees. I'm good.

Well let me come in and he just wanted to be there to help.

And then he went and did a job or two. I said I don't know. I just. I'm not charging you anything.

Then I realized. He. Just wanted me to succeed.

Just like any good father does. Just like God wants to see us succeed but not in the world. He wants to see us succeed in the kingdom of God. Oh did Abraham succeed. Yes there were rich people throughout this Bible and God directed them. And he can. Today we have. Multiple millionaires in. You know I church of God I know. So.

And God is directing them. They're very giving people.

If God wanted me to be a millionaire or multi millionaire guess what. I'd have it. But I don't. He knows me.

He knows it's not. My best interest.

In this time. Be rich because I may not be in the kingdom.

I have to trust him. Because it says commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.

Did the Feast of Tabernacles motivate you to be more holy this year.

And hope so.

Did you taste the kingdom of God at the Feast of Tabernacles. I hope you did. You know you go to Costco which I buy some stuff at Costco for the church and. For me and Mary it doesn't really work. They have bags of 500. We don't need that much but when I do church things I go and in Costco there's always somebody set up in there to give you a taste. To get you and there's 50 of them in that store where you walk or just try this. Try this. Why they want you to have a taste because if you get a taste chances are you'll buy it and I did.

More than a few times I bring it home. Mary goes why do you bring why do you buy that. Taste good.

That's why God had us go to the Feast of Tabernacles to get a taste of that kingdom. How about a glimpse. Did we get a glimpse of the kingdom of God. Did we see it like going to a movie and then they have a movie trailer. You're sitting in ready to watch a movie and then they send four or five trailers in front of you because they want you to see something and it's like oh wow that looks interesting. This is what God has done for us. He does this to motivate us.

To seek the kingdom of God first.

Are you wholly motivated.

Are you prepared to be motivated. The Holy Spirit is given to us to motivate us. The Holy Spirit longs for you to be wholly motivated. That's why it's given.

Questions to us.

Are you.