Skip to content "Hearing God" Part 5 with Kenny Luck Nov 29 · 57 min ...more
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Hearing God: Priorities and Battles 0:01 Welcome to the men's global livestream. I'm so glad you're with us. If you have a Bible, I want you to hold a couple of spots in 1 in Jeremiah 9, the other in John 17. We're gonna look at those on the at0:13 the top of our study today, and I wanna encourage you to make sure you have the downloaded notes. I mean, even as we're doing our introduction, if if you're if you're watching online with us and you see that downloaded0:24 notes, but make sure you get that because of 2 things. 1 is I want you to have the scriptures there in front of you beyond the the broadcast, but also I want you to teach what we learn here. Now if you're joining us for0:36 the first time, we're in a series called Hearing God. And we're talking about hearing God clearly because the Bible teaches that every believer is in a spiritual battle in his connection0:48 with God and in his communication with God. Okay? Once we have a relationship, relationships require communications. But forces against that relationship with God, they are going to0:59 try to mess with it. And that's kind of what we established in part 1, just to bring that reality home that we are in a battle to hear God clearly, to hear God1:11 regularly, to hear God personally. And God's desire in our relationship is that he wants that relationship to be intimate. He wants that relationship to be life changing, but again, we1:23 gotta hear him in order to know and experience him. So then in parts 2 through 5, what we're doing is we're talking about 4 battles that every believer has to1:35 win in order to hear God clearly, regularly, and personally. In part 2, we talked about you gotta win the battle of slow versus hurry. You can't be in a hurry and have a good relationship1:47 with anything and that we have to slow to know someone. In part 3, we talked about winning quiet versus noise, where you need an environment. You1:58 need a place. You need your tent of meeting where God can meet with you and speak with you and not just have it be a physically quiet place, but also2:10 be able to internally quiet yourself so you can hear God. That was that was part 3. In part 4, we talked about the battle of rest2:22 versus restlessness. And I really called on the carpet this whole idea of to divert and distract ourselves from work. We try to get rest, but we still well,2:34 even though we do a lot of fun stuff and we do a lot of social media and we do a lot of hobbies and a lot of recreational things, we're still restless. And I explained the reason why, because we're made in2:46 God image, but we're made from dust. We're we have unlimited desires because we're eternal. We have a forever DNA, but then after the fall, we're made from dust. And so into that tension,2:59 right, of being eternal and being limited comes restlessness, and then we look to God to be the source of our rest and to bridge that tension and give us3:10 true rest. Right? Now in part 4, we talked about or part 5 today, we're gonna talk about the vital few versus the important many. Alright. We're talking about3:23 priorities. Okay? And to get you thinking in the right direction, I just want you to think about what comes into your mind when you think multitasking. Alright? Maybe you're at the barbecue3:34 and you're drinking a beer and you're flipping burgers. Alright? That's that's some good multitasking. Right? Or maybe we hold our kids and and and we watch TV and we feed them3:46 and I mean, actually, we don't do that a lot. A lot of the moms do. Moms are the ultimate multitaskers. Right? But we know that, you know, we can do little things like that. At some point, though, you3:58 keep throwing tasks at a physically limited human being, and at some point, the tasks that we were doing, they're gonna start to suffer because we're spread too thin in4:09 our multitasking. Right? Now, how does that relate to our relationship with God and hearing God? Well, the same is true in your relationship with God. I mean, I don't4:21 know about you, but I want to do marriage super well. I want to do fatherhood super well. I want to do grandfathering super well. I want to do fitness super well. I want to do work super well. There's so many things that4:31 I want to do super well, but I can't do everything super well, but culture encourages that. Man, you can have it all, you know. You4:43 can have an amazing recreational life, then you go on vacation, then you go to work, then you're a good dad and you're a good worker and you make a lot of money and sorry, we're limited. We learned4:55 that in this series. Right? And when you want to hear God and have a great relationship with God and have a thriving spiritual relationship with God, that were5:07 thriving relationship will turn mediocre and just decent and not be all that God intended if he gets diluted. Right? Meaning, you're5:19 doing too many things, you have too many priorities, there's a need to narrow your priorities. Right? And that's really the goal of today's study. Right? We wanna5:30 rearrange our lives for priority and consistency. Right? And to do that, you gotta say yes to God and his mind on yourThe Vital Few: Loving God, People, and His Word 5:42 priorities, and that yes is gonna mean a no maybe to some other things. Alright? So here's where we're going today. We're gonna get God's mind on our priorities. Right?5:54 Let God speak into the issue, right, of what should be the vital few. Then we're gonna look at some key drivers. Right? Connected to just6:06 keeping God first in all things. And then we're gonna look at some key values that keep us living simply and strongly in God. Right? So we're at priorities, shape6:18 our values, and then it ultimately is going to lead to an expression. Okay? So if you have the downloaded notes, I want you to look at the top of your notes, and I want us to6:30 talk about and see where in the Bible, when it comes to your passions and your pursuits in your life, we have options and freedom to choose. God knows this. And in6:41 Jeremiah chapter 9, he speaks into it. He says this, this is what the lord says. Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom or the powerful boast of their power or the6:53 rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone, That they truly know me and understand that I'm the lord who demonstrates unfailing love and7:05 who brings justice and righteousness to the earth and that I delight in these things. I, the lord, have spoken. So we see that when it comes7:17 to passions and pursuits, we are not static robots. We are actually creatures that have a free will and can choose, and we can choose7:29 being smart as a pursuit and passion. We can choose being powerful as a pursuit and passion. We can choose being materially wealthy as a pursuit and passion as7:41 our core priority, and that core priority will shape our core identity. And that core priority and that core identity is going to demand energy. And7:53 you see, God sees this happening among men. That's what I want you to see in Jeremiah 9 23 and 24. God sees that priorities other than him, the8:05 creator, the potter, the vine, the shepherd, the master, other priorities can just edge him out. So he speaks directly8:17 into it. Let's make 3 observations from Jeremiah 9 23 and 24. Number 1, God says, our best energy reflects our truest priorities. So all I'd have to do8:28 is get a hidden camera, follow you around, hire somebody to follow you around, and then I would see, you know, from when you woke up to when you went to bed, I could begin to then glean your priorities.8:41 I could also look at your checkbook. I could also see where you allocate your disposable time. I could it's not rocket science. Our best energy, okay, where we put8:52 it reflects our truest priorities, and there's a menu of options. There's always been. I mean, back in the time when Jeremiah was the prophet during the Babylonian exile,9:04 they had they had choices too, you know? And that's the same with us today, and the world, the flesh, and the devil are offering us godless choices. You know? We can be in an9:16 intellectual passion and pursuit. We can be in pursuit of position and status through social media, and that can dominate. We can be just, man, about the buck and devote our9:28 lives to that. Alright? So god says that our best energy reflects our truest priority. Secondly, god says, I want to be your number 1 passion. Notice in the text,9:40 the language, very specific, but to those who wish to boast should boast in this alone. If you have the downloaded notes, circle this alone, that they truly know me and they understand9:52 that I am the lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth. Right? I love that god wants to10:03 have a real relationship with us, and that he makes himself available to know and to hear and to be10:15 experienced, but we gotta decide if he's gonna be a priority. There's the world's priorities and then there's God's priorities. And God says, if you're gonna boast in anything, like, if you're gonna brag10:27 about where you put your energy, why don't you brag about this, that you understand and know me. K? Time out. I hope that convicts you as much as it convicts me. Sometimes10:39 we just gotta let that word sorta settle on us. God says, I want to be10:51 number 1 in your life. To the point where when people ask you how you're doing, something related to me comes out of your mouth. Right? Alright. Let's11:03 make the third observation. God says, I want you to value what I value on earth. You know, he ties this priority thing to himself. Like, you can pursue these other priorities or you can11:15 boast in me alone and you can understand and you can know me that I am the Lord and then there's that connective word who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and11:27 righteousness to the earth that I delight in these things. Now, God's a father and fathers delight when their children11:39 reflect what is best and good about them in their actions, in their attitudes, in their character. Right, parents? Isn't it awesome when your kid reflects a value or a11:51 character trait that's good. And God's the God's the same way. Right? He wants us to value what he values on earth. And I love that phrase. He12:02 demonstrates unfailing love and brings justice and righteousness to the earth. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you're a son of god12:16 and you're to demonstrate what god demonstrates, what god models for us is meant for us. What does he demonstrate? Love and justice. And12:28 what's really cool is when we look to Jesus, we see Jesus as a son reflect those 2 things. Right? That's your next scripture. It's John 17,12:41 1 through 3. It says, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, father, the hour has come. Glorify your son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives12:52 eternal life to each 1 you have given him, and this is the way to have eternal life, to know you, the only true god, and Jesus Christ, the13:04 1 you sent to Earth. What's cool about the connection between Jeremiah 9 23 and 24 and John 17 1 through 3 and and beyond in13:15 there is it's all about priority, modeling, wanting to have God as a focus while we're on earth, to13:27 execute what God wants to do on earth. And in Jesus, we see God's love and God's justice that's talked about in Jeremiah 9. Kiss and come together. Love and justice come. For God13:39 so loved the world that he gave his only son. Why? To justify man before a holy God by shedding blood. And so13:51 it's so cool, but what I want you to see in this is Jesus is talking about, the priority here, of eternal14:03 life. And this is the way to have eternal life. So if you're connected to God, like we learned in this series, you're connected you have forever DNA. And that forever DNA is14:14 to be the dominant influence. And what is eternal life? It's a relationship to know you. Right? So eternal life is not a set of14:26 behaviors, although the relationship will change your behaviors for sure, because our strongest relationships influence us. But what I want you to14:38 see is that eternal life is knowing God, but to know God and to experience the fullness and richness of eternal life, you have to make god your number14:50 1 passion and we see this modeled by Jesus, the priority of knowing god and in Jesus, we see him demonstrate like god15:02 likes to do. He says he delights in it. Demonstrate love and justice on the earth. So let's let's come to kind of a conclusion based on just God's mind. If you want to know God,15:14 if you wanna experience God, if you want to hear God, write this down. This hearing God fact. Eternity must be the priority.15:27 The eternal 1, the eternal son, and the priorities of the eternal 1, the eternal son, Jesus himself. If you're gonna hear god, you've gotta15:39 have a passion for him, his word, his will, his ways. And if you have a passion for that, you're gonna want to make him in a priority. And in making him a priority, he's gonna shape15:51 your values and then your values are gonna turn into an expression. We're gonna talk a little bit about that as we move along. Alright? So Jesus says, and this is eternal life to know you. What's16:03 Jesus saying? There are vital things, right? The ones that are eternal, that's vital. Right? Then there's everything else, and we're gonna see on your on16:14 your notes here in Colossians 3, the Bible pounds that home. There's God, his word, his will, his way, and then there's everything else. Right? And the Bible's always encouraging us to make16:26 eternity the priority, eternal things, the priority. Let's see that come out in terms of the priority in Colossians chapter 3 verses 1 through 3. Since then, you've16:38 been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above. Where Christ is seated at the right hand of god. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.16:50 For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in god. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him17:02 in glory. So remember the progression of what we've been talking about. Right? We're a free will creature. When it comes to passions and17:14 pursuits, we have options. God says you can do this, which is, you know, make make different things your gods. Be smart. Be wealthy. Be powerful.17:25 But I alone I I want I want to be your number 1 passion and your number 1 pursuit. Jesus models that. Right? What does he say? Hey. This is eternal life to know17:37 you. Right? And once you fall into that category of being in relationship with God, there are certain forces, right, certain drivers that take over17:50 that keep God your highest priority and keep you hearing him and keep you knowing him and keep you experiencing. What are they? Write this down. My identity is the basis of my priority on18:02 earth. Number 1, unequivocal gold medal winner in terms of establishing your priorities is your identity. Look at the language in Colossians18:13 chapter 3. Since then, you have been raised with Christ. Okay? So the reflection is on it's implied, but it's a before and an18:25 after. Since then, God loved you, God rescued you, and he transferred you out of the domain of darkness and into Christ. Right? That identity in18:37 Christ means a few things. Means you're crucified with Christ. He dies for sin. I die to sin. And here in Colossians chapter 3, another thing happens when you're in Christ, right?18:49 He rises he rises from the dead. I become alive now spiritually in God. And then I'm seated with Christ. That's the third19:01 thing that happens when a person becomes a Christian. Right? They're crucified with Christ. Right? He dies for sin. Now, they start dying to sin. They're raised with Christ. Jesus comes alive on Earth. We come alive19:13 spiritually on Earth for his purposes. We're seated with Christ. In Christ, we now have dual citizenship. Okay? We're on earth, but19:25 we're seated with Christ. Right? And which citizenship prevails? Is it our earthly cultural identification? No. It's since then we've been raised with19:36 Christ. We're seated with Christ. We're alive to God's purposes. And now we have access and authority being seated with Christ in heaven. Our identity is the basis19:49 for now determining our priorities on earth. Not then and there, here and now. Okay?20:00 Let's go to the second observation. So first, my identity is the basis of my priority on earth. Secondly, my destiny controls my priority on earth. This makes perfect sense. Right? When you know what's gonna happen20:12 in the end, which is what Paul's writing about, right, it changes how you think and where you put your passions now. It's like, okay, that's gonna happen in the future. I gotta change20:24 my how I think about things and what my passions are. That's why Paul says on the heels of since then, you've been raised with Christ. The next words are set your hearts on things above. Set your minds20:36 on things above, not on earthly things. So, just like, alright, You're in Christ now. That's your number 1 identity. Now that's gonna take over your energy, your passions, your heart, your20:48 thinking. It's your number 1 point of reference. It's the number 1 driver for how you think. Why? Because that's your identity, but your identity results in a destiny,21:00 right, which is above. Okay? Number 3, we observe Jesus Jesus's supremacy motivates my prioritizing. So my21:11 identity, my destiny, Jesus's supremacy motivates my prioritizing. Notice the language. It says, when Christ, circle this phrase, please, who is21:23 your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. So here in Colossians 3, you see the object of our21:35 passion is God in the person of Jesus Christ. Right? And then you see the reality of his priority. Okay? When Christ, here comes,21:47 who is your life? Okay. Can we do another press the pause button? When Christ,21:59 who is your life. You ever heard somebody say, oh, my family is my life, or, you know, racing is my life, or some hobby is my life,22:11 or sorry, if you're a believer, Christ is your life. He is everything to you. He is the number22:23 1 context and influencer in your life. Right? He is the priority. So we're talking about priorities. When Christ22:35 who is your life, you can't have a higher priority than that. People say stuff like, oh, this is my life or she's my life. My family is my life or golf is my life. You It's like this is Bible says Christ who22:46 is your life. And maybe there's a reckoning in this moment right now where I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking to many men and you might be 1 of them where there's22:58 a reckoning now. And when you heard those words, when Christ, who is your life, he is the23:10 context of every dimension of your life. The number 1 part, there was a there's a little in your gut. That's the Holy Spirit talking to23:22 you, speaking. You know what? That, this, all those other things, that's not your identity. Christ is your identity. Doesn't mean you have to give up doing any of those things, but your identity is not those23:33 things. And your energy, right, your number 1 energy. Right? The thing that grabs your heart is not in those things. Your number 1 energy in me, and then I give you power23:45 and insight and wisdom to to be in the mix in those things for me out of our you live out of our relationship and express yourself in these contexts.23:57 Okay? So Jesus wants to be my supreme passion. Jesus wants to be my number 1 pursuit. He's my life. Right?24:09 He's the vital 1 of life. Right? Now what we gotta talk about is we have to talk about how that now turns into a progression.Show more In this video 0:00 Hearing God: Priorities and Battles5:41 The Vital Few: Loving God, People, and His Word24:15 Shaping Values and Living by the Spirit45:55 Empowered by the Holy Spirit5:34
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