Living The Dream (Philippians 3:8)

Introduction

And those things will indeed echo down through eternity. What great things our lips have espoused as we have sung these songs today, and as we have worshipped our God. On the morning of July 4th, not a holiday for a preacher. I was beginning thoughts from this sermon and multitasking as I sometimes do. I had the Today Show on in the background. And they were running a segment called Starting Over. People who were hitting a reset button for their lives. And the story that day was about a lady named Abigail Carroll. She worked in finance in France. She was engaged to a count. And when that relationship went awry, she moved to of all places, the state of Maine. She had a plan for an oyster farm, but what she had not planned was to become the actual farmer in her plan.

She is now known as the oyster lady. She rebranded this company. It is now called None Such Oysters. Hmm, sounds good. Especially fried ones. She will harvest the summer eight hundred thousand oysters. And she gives oyster tours. Perhaps put that on your vacation to do list to go to Maine and take the oyster tour. If you like those slimy raw things right off the shelf. She said something interesting in this interview with Jenna Bush Hager about her new life choice. She said, the reset didn’t make me who I am. What made me who I am today is the seven years of engagement, of struggle, of rethinking, repositioning, re-upping. You just gotta keep re-upping. And that’s when life happens, and that’s when the magic happens. So apparently, as an oyster farmer, Abigail Carroll was now surprisingly living her dream.

Are you? Are you living the dream? Or if you are not living it presently, what you one day anticipate, will you at some point in the future live the dream? What is it for you? Is it out there? Somewhere, sometime in the future. For some of us, if we’re gonna get after living the dream, we better get started. But for a lot of you young folks, and we have a lot of young folks in the audience today, surprisingly. Where have you all been? The Olympics, I’m guessing. The world is your oyster. Isn’t that a saying? Still a lot of time to mold your life in whatever fashion that you think will constitute living the dream. Or perhaps you are already living it. And you don’t even realize it.

1. Look at What's Right in Front of Us

Every scriptural sermon has three points. And the less of yours. Couldn’t come up with three. I’ve only got two. You’re thinking this was going to be short. Maybe it might be. Wouldn’t that be something? Point number one. Perhaps as we think about living the dream, we should take a look very closely at what’s right in front of us right this very moment. Instead of looking off into the distance in the future, somewhere, someday, let’s consider what we’re looking at in our lives right now. I got this idea a couple of weeks ago from my good friend who preaches in San Antonio, David Osteen. I call David my idea factory. And he posted this on Facebook. He said, Sometimes we are so preoccupied with making all of our dreams for the future come true that we don’t realize that God has blessed us with living the dream right now.

And he queries, how many people would love to have the blessings that you have in your life right now? How many would be blessed to have your car, your house, your toys, your education, your job, your paycheck, your spouse, your kids, your family, the list goes on and on. There are things about your life that many others in the world would wish for, hope for, dream for, and you have them. Be happy for that. Joyful. Thankful. You are living the dream. Some good thoughts right there. But if you don’t perceive that about your circumstances presently, if you don’t look at where you are now as living the dream, having cited some of those things that you already possess and perhaps an abundance, at least of some quality.

I mean, I don’t know of any of us who are driving the $300 Jalopi down the road. Our young people even get set up in pretty good automobiles, it seems, these days because of our affluence. Try driving a 1972 Army Green Plymouth Duster like I did. That’ll teach you some life lessons. What are you pining for? What do you want out of life? What is living the dream look like to you? What is 10 years down the road going to look like? 20 years down the road. Let me suggest something to you. That when you get there, if you get there, whatever might transpire or change in your life, more and better, will always be on the table. It will always be an option. And the reason why I make that observation is a lot of folks live for that, and they’re consumed by that.

There’s something more out there for me. There is something better out there for me. And there may well be. But what about what you have right now? You can get consumed in that. And not appreciate the blessings that you have right this minute. We have extraordinary stuff. It blows my mind sometimes. The technology, the conveniences, all the things that make our lives so posh and comfortable. We have extraordinary stuff. And it would likely cause Solomon, who was the rich man in the Bible, whose income annually was 666 talents of gold. Don’t know exactly how much that was, but it was more than he needed. But you know what? I think about this all the time. When I think about his experience, his experiment in chapter two, where everything that his eyes desired, he provided as he went.

Nice experiment, Solomon. Whatever my eyes can see, I can afford to let it happen. And he tried everything. If Solomon can do that experiment today, if he could just try some of the stuff that you have, his eyes would bug out. We’re that rich. We’ve got that much stuff. And forget the stuff. What about the relationships that are right in front of you? There’s only a handful of us here in this boat that Sherry and I are in, but it’s called the Empty Nest. We just have to take our thrills like I had this morning, a 15-minute face time with my son and grandson. Really made the day special. Thank you, Brett, for calling. Wigging tons and Fraser’s, Olinnox have all been on extended trips, gone multiple Sundays.

Why do I preach all these sermons? Nobody’s here. And as I saw the pictures posted on Facebook, I saw the treasure. The time you could spend with your kids. Doing those sorts of things. Seeing the world. Eating fast food. Ice cream every night. And it goes by so quickly. And they said it, and I would say it too. Woo! Am I glad to be home? It’s because our lives are good at home. But it’s fun to go on the road. And those moments happen so quickly, and then they’re gone. And the next thing you know, you turn around and they’re graduating from high school, they’re getting married. Say goodbye. Oh, you might see them here and there. But it won’t be the same. You can’t go back.

I tell new parents all the time, I know. You’re gonna be tired. That’s one great thing about being a grandparent. You get all the fun without all the fatigue. It’s just not as much fun as I would like, not as much time as I would like. But I tell parents all the time enjoy every minute. They grow up so fast, you have them for so short of a time. What a treasure, right? So, what I want to recommend to you, those of us that in many ways are already living the dream, we ought to be profusely thankful. And I chose the term profusely, so that I know what that means. It means a lot. Be thankful a lot. To an extreme degree. I like the word because it sounds like what it is.

Profusely thankful. You learn the word, if nothing else. In everything, give thanks. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 18, there’s not a circumstance which is inappropriate for the giving of thanks. Because we have stuff.

In Christ Jesus. Hold your finger there if you’ve turned over to 1 Thessalonians. Flip over to 1 Timothy chapter 6, and we’re going to look there at a couple of passages. I think this is the missing ingredient in our times. The reason for so much upset and unhappiness and wanting more and consumed with that, walking out of relationships, living for material things. Paul said, if I have food and covering, therewith to be content. Wait a minute. Check. You got clothes on. Pretty good clothes. And did you eat breakfast? If not, you’ll be any lunch. Pretty sure it’s on the agenda for you. You’re not going to be looking into your wallet and say, ah, I can’t eat lunch today. Pretty sure you’re going to be any lunch.

Life’s good. Food and comfort. Be content. So much of what’s wrong in the lives of Christians is a lack of contentment. We’ve got stuff running out our eyeballs, if that’s possible. Maybe you’re already living the dream. But know this. I read in a commentary on Psalm 39, written by a very talented writer who can write great things very succinctly, Derek Kidner. As David says in Psalm 39, Lord, make me to know my end and how transient I am. And that needs to be our appeal to the throne of God as well. And what is the length of my days? He talks about in regard to that section, and I’ve used this here before, but it’s been a few years. You can’t remember it. The fatal insufficiency of all that is earthbound.

2. Living the Dream: What You Have in the Lord

So whatever it is in this earth that we possess, it is only temporary. It will ultimately not provide for us what we sometimes think it will. And now I want to move to the second thought. And we’re going to take you to a verse in Galatians chapter 3. Yes, we need to appreciate and be thankful for what’s right in front of us. But let’s expand this even a little further, and perhaps not the verse you would have selected, but what I’ve been thinking about because of Aaron’s study in Genesis. Is this true of where you are spiritually? Are you in a right relationship with God? If so, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. That’s what our sins caused.

Something that could not be remedied apart from what Jesus did. He became a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, in order that in Christ Jesus, if you are in Christ, in Christ Jesus, in a right relationship with the Savior, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Is that in your possession? Do you have the promise of the Spirit through faith? When I read David Osteen’s Facebook post, I had to reply, not to mention the exceeding value of knowing the Lord. And all of the greater blessings contained therein. Truly, we are in many ways living the dream.

I just think that truth escapes a lot of people who sadly are in Christ. He said, Well, my next post is going to address that. 1 Timothy chapter 6, are you still there? But godliness with contentment, oh, that’s the point we talked about in the first point, what’s right in front of you. But godliness, that is a focus on God in your life. Godliness with contentment is fill in the blake. What is it? Great gain. You want to be rich? I’m rich. I am saved. I am happy. The Lord has been mindful of me. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Point number two. Living the dream. What you have in the Lord. What did Paul say in Philippians chapter 3, Philippians chapter 3 and verse 8?

More than that, considering his past, what he had at a former time, he says, I count all things as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. There were some sacrifices to be made. There was some punishment and persecution to be endured for the choice that I made. The standing that I had before, I could not hold on to. I have experienced loss because I signed up to be a disciple of the Lord. But I want to tell you something. Knowing the Lord is worth more than all of that. It’s worth more than everything. Everything. I count them at rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.

And that’s a challenge right there. Is that my view of stuff? Things that so many cherish and hold on to with all of their might. I value knowing the Lord and being in a right relationship with him above everything. To know the fellowship, even of his sufferings. 1 John 2, verse 28. And now, little children, abide in Him. You want to know a blessing of what we have in the Lord abiding in Him, He says, so that when He appears. Hey, what if that was to happen in the next 10, 15 minutes? I’ve said before, where you’re going for lunch wouldn’t matter. You wouldn’t think another thing about it. As when He appears, we may have confidence. You ever thought about the final coming of the Lord?

There’s a loud sound like a trumpet, and you see it in the air. I’ll tell you what you’re going to know. If you’re alive when that moment happens, we’re done here. This is it. Oh, what’s gonna happen to me now? I’ve had dreams like this. Scary dreams. What now? Because the mind can hardly imagine it. It never gets to the point where I ascend up into the air because it’s hard to envision that. That we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame at his coming. We can have confidence that we’re ready. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of him. Do you know the Lord? Are you in Christ? If so, you are blessed.

What a word. We’ve been talking about through your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And if you’re in Christ, you’re receiving that, you’re reaping that. We sometimes use this term in a way that I don’t know is completely acceptable. Something happens that turns out favorably for us. We like the outcome of that thing. And we say, I’m blessed. The Lord has blessed me. And he has. However, what if the outcome had not been favorable? What if the outcome was painful? Hurtful, not what we wanted.

Are we still blessed? You see, this blessing is based not on how I feel, but what I know. And I’m a little concerned when people’s confidence in God and their faith is tied up in circumstances that turn out favorably, because sometimes in life things don’t turn out favorably as we would have wanted them to. But these blessings are across the board in every one’s circumstances, good or bad. If I am in Christ and I know him, and I am known by him. If anyone loves God, he is known by him. 1 Corinthians 8 and verse 3. I am blessed, even if my circumstances are painful and less than desirable. It’s the value of knowing truth.

If I am in Christ, if I receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith, that is, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. And I am one of those individuals, then I am concluded in the story of all history. And that’s extraordinary. Of all the events that have taken place in this world, all the wars, all the bloodsheds, all the epic moments, all the great performances. If I am in Christ, I am included in the story of all history. Because I am related to the person of all history. Jesus Christ. I read this posted by Doy Moyer about the value of truth. The precious things of God’s word are not all upon the surface. We must dig in order to find them.

Like the first sinking of the shaft, the work may be laborious at the outset and therefore needs diligence. But when we reach a rich vein of ore, we are well rewarded. As we find that we come upon a mine of inexhaustible wealth. Knowing the truth of this book is to reach into the depths of a mine of inexhaustible wealth. You know this. You know the purpose of life in this world. You know why you exist. You have a relationship with the Lord and a hope that transcends all circumstances. Not to mention the relationships that we have with one another among the richest of relationships in the earth. And so I want to go back to Abigail Carroll. Keep re-upping. Realizing that you live the dream. Keep repositioning when necessary to value these things as you should.

Conclusion

And what is the value of being able to say, I am ready right this moment to meet the Lord. I’ve got a plan this week. Do you?

Called the GPGA. The Gospel Preacher Golf Association Golf Tournament. And I do my best each year to try not to embarrass you. As the preacher of the Decker Ferry Church, you know, I’m a reflection. The preacher of Decker Prairie is a terrible gommer. There have been some years where the reflection has been poor. No, I’m really looking forward to it. I’m anticipating it. Going to be fun. See such good people, good friends, fellow preachers of the gospel, so many other Christians. But as I anticipate that every year, like some of you anticipate, that place in Florida. That will not be named.

Glory is better. Going to glory will be better.

Are you prepared? We seem to encourage your preparation. Let’s stand and say.