Dealing With Disappointment and Regret by Shane Idleman

you dealing with disappointment and regret dealing with disappointment and regret is there anybody in here dealing with disappointment and regret the first service wasn't very honest I'm looking for honest people at the second service okay because there was just me up here you know oh I'm the only one doing okay good most if we're honest everybody's dealing with disappointment and regret and it's interesting I found you've seen this before what is regret regret is terrible because it's a loss of confidence and enthusiasm if the devil can get you disappointed and regretting he will take the enthusiasm away from you he will take the confidence away from you as a real example just happened to me tonight you want to hear it Mother's Day is supposed to be the third highest attended service all year well guess what that's not the case tonight everybody's gone so disappointment comes in or I said Lord I don't care if there's 50 people I'm gonna preach my heart out that's how you that's how you deal with it you've got to take that thought captive oh who owes me either just for me through this no no see that's what the devil wants and in your life - he wants to rob you of the enthusiasm because how much better do we do when we're excited and enthused and motivated so he'll take that away and we just get through life with no enthusiasm no confidence if the enemy can discourage us he can manipulate us what happens is misguided priorities lead to misguided choices here's how it works if he can get me off my you know train aside if he can get me disappointed if he can get me regretting certain things then now I will make choices based on that regret I will make choices based on that disappointment and then now my life is playing into the hands of the enemy because he wants now to guide me in a different direction and the more I thought about all week the more I realized this is a very important topic because if we're not careful we can actually live a life of regret and remorse and disappointment and then that can zap our energy is out bar strength and as a result do you think you become very positive and fun to be around or disgruntled negative always down and I struggle with that you know from time to time I know it's hard to believe but it happens we all were on the same struggle you know a depression and disappointment so I want to talk about that and it's interesting I was just curious what are the top regrets the top regrets in the minds of Americans and as I was putting this together I thought wow this is this is this is speaking to the majority of the people in the church as well number one why gay actually they weren't in order but the first one I put down romantic regrets the one that got away do you ever have those if you see my wife shaking your head we're in trouble the one that got away do you regret that some people do I don't I can be honest with you I don't regret the one that got away and please understand me here my heart I told the first service this type of sermon I'm not discounting the deep emotional pain that people go through the struggles of disappointments I'm not trying to trivialize any of those things depression it's real but I do want to remind you that God makes provision for all of these things in his word the provisions there he makes that provision and I've seen this a lot on romantic regrets the one that got away the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence for every person I have says I'm leaving God just wants me to be happy I have another person coming back five years later saying that was the worst decision I ever made in my life the grass is green us where you water it is green is the word sounded good right the grass will be the greenest where you water it saying I want to encourage you in that area that the regret has to be hit head-on this area of regret and disappointing we've got to hit this head-on what are the correct side of all of the fans of water at your home your home that's where that's where the we should be watering that grass and not looking for the one that got away remember the famous country songs thank God for unanswered prayer O Lord thank God for an answered prayer if he gave me everything I pray for I wouldn't even be here I'm pure that so thank God for guiding and directing what about relative regrets oh we don't have any of those family members disagreements or arguments that got out of hand any route any relative regrets my mom no she would tell you I one regret is I want to get closer to my brother and sister I want to get to know them better not this big distance here you know and trying to do that and get in it's a regret and you have to work towards that and I'm reached part partially responsible for that and what do you do with that regret Oh education regrets anybody have any regrets that they didn't further their education there's not a month that goes by that I don't I'm not asked what seminary did you go to you're not a real pastor unless you go to seminary and I remind them you're not a real pastor unless God calls you that's the criteria and then of course you study but it iams I regret it you know like oh that would have been cool to say I have a PhD from Dallas Theological Seminary but I know me and that's what I'd be telling everybody have you heard of me and Dallas it's over you know top what about Masters seminary down there and you know I've got a PhD from there did you see the back of my book or my business card but that's what it does God says no you got to stay humble and broken before the Lord but that's why we have some of these regrets hopefully I can talk about them a little bit later but career regrets anybody have any career regrets financial regrets and here's the big to parenting regrets and health regrets most people wish they would have taken better care of this billion trillion dollar body we can't even put a price tag on we treat it like garbage and then we regret the choices we made now here's the encouraging thing I'm going to get to parenting regrets too in a minute I want to encourage you that you can take this principle the bank that God not only adds to our life he multiplies and once you learn to take regrets and turn them into stepping stones and and have a thankful attitude a thankful heart and put these things God can begin to multiply and repair and build and sustain all these areas you thought were all these things you're regretting over there's a wonderful scripture God talks about I will bring back and I will what the Devourer took I will I will replenish that with the the cankerworm and the locusts and the and all these things what they took from you now we can't take that scripture and say all that applies to me but the principle does when we get our hearts right back on track with God and we start to make this decisions that honor him he can begin to multiply things back into our lives that we thought were lost so regret then turns into passion the disappointment turns into purpose because I gave it to God and now he multiplies it that's a wonderful thing about this the enemy wants you to live and regret God wants you to take that regret and make it a stepping stone I regret that I spent money on terrible things for 25 years I got really sad this week when I read that the average person will make two point five to four million dollars in their lifetime I said where's that at where did that go where is this where you can see you live in this regret but God says I will multiply it but how do I not have that regret now I can make better financial decisions had I not hurt somebody in my 20s I cannot now love somebody better now I mean how do you develop patience if you're never tested how do you develop on forgiveness if you're never wrong how we can't so you can actually use regret as a stepping stone men regret what I did to my marriage well now you can use it to repair your marriage I regret what I did in my 20s well now you can use it to repair your life in your 30s and 40s so don't let because the enemy wants to keep you in regret and disillusioned and disappointed here's why because when I live in that state I can make excuses for sin I can make excuses for my terrible attitude I can make excuses for everything because of regret and disappointed my if it wasn't for my parents then you should never say that we cannot hold another person responsible for our choices yes they influenced us yes there's different dynamics that take place but ultimately we have to take responsibility for our own actions here's Paul said about this but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead if I if I could say if I could only had one verse this whole sermon this would be it one thing I do I forget which tells me I can remember right common sense I forget those things which are behind me and I reach forward to those things that are ahead I don't regret the lessons learned I still learn those lessons but now I've got to reach forward to what God has called me to do I can't live back here and regret you know it's been said right why does a car have one little rear view window and a huge window to see where you're going the same thing in life applies we can't be set and looking back and I don't know if it was it was God kind of putting this in my path this week but I thought it would fit the sermon well I read an excerpt from a book it talks about embracing rock-bottom then the author writes this maybe you've hit your rock bottom moment maybe you're there right now so I've got good news for you many times God does his best work in our lives when we are at the rock bottom can I stay say and just stop ferment say hallelujah let me give you a testimony on this had it not been for rock bottom I wouldn't be pastoring had it not been for rock bottom I wouldn't have had a devotion to God's Word a desire for his word as a dear pants after the river had it not been for rock bottom because it's when the rock bottom I can't go any lower I got to look up now but so many people they hit those hard spots and what do they do they hunker in and they stay there but she says it's a great points a biblical point when you when you're finally there you know that you have nothing else to do except to look to God and let me tell you that is the best place to be embrace your rock bottom moment realize that while you're at your very lowest point possibly the lowest in your life God doesn't want you to stay there interesting when we get to these rock bottom we get these low points the gold God's goal is not to just like I got you under my foot now you're gonna stay there the whole idea many times say listen call on me now call on me now I save you as my arm not short or my you're not heavy that I cannot hear call on me and I will save you I will deliver you but you have to say I need to deliver to call on him and that's one thing about cozy comfortable Christianity it doesn't lead to a strong vibrant relationship with the Lord often because by default we drift if you could take a hundred Christians from America and hundred Christians from the underground Church in China you would see a much different view of Christianity why because they might be arrested if you if your thought was cable here's where we're meeting location we might be arrested you could lose your finances lose your job in some countries you lose your life do you think they might worship a little different when they get there do you absolutely without a shadow of a doubt they're not in a hurry to get out of there they don't care what time it is they're not hungry they're there to worship God why because of the furnace of affliction because of that rock-bottom because of the persecution we shouldn't desire it necessarily but it does purify you and that's why she goes on to say this is what the psalmist said in Psalm 34 I cried out to the Lord in my suffering and he heard me he set me free from all my fears many people say they've done this but they really haven't how do you know actions speak louder than words most people have not cried out with all their heart and suffering say lord I need you there's tears sometimes because they got caught but there's not genuine suffer there's not genuine heartfelt sorrow there and turning to God your greatest failure in your lowest point your rock bottom moment may very well to be the precise time and place that God is choosing to begin a great work in you if you're willing if you're willing and humble if you're willing to humble yourself and allow him to start the process think about this rock how many people have lost everything going to drug rehab come out much different whole new personnel I don't even know who they are how do i how did that happen rock bottom person going through marriage problems or family problems and terrible problems unlike anything they felt before they're losing sleep they've got all these issues going on rock bottom and they come out stronger they come out stronger trusting in God to get them through almost a two we have to realize that these rock-bottom experiences are these difficult experience that are almost like in the spiritual what it is in the physical with lifting weights if a person it doesn't move their muscles they don't grow they don't they don't become stronger and perseverance is a spiritual muscle to persevere through things to get through things that's what I said before you can you know God is your provider when he provides I mean so we people think oh god is my provider I've got so much money I don't in need and I guess he you know is my provider it sounds good but when you're about ready to be evicted you have nowhere to go you know I know why people become homeless now you've got all this and then God begins to open doors now you think you might know him as provider more than the other person of course so don't despise these moments what we learned from Paul's the story on this for getting those things that lie behind and pressing towards the mark that is in Christ Jesus is that perspective changes everything that's what he's saying here we have to you have to change your perspective on how you view life and how you view God's Word a funny story I came across this week as well said this a man was driving in the country one day and he saw an old man sitting on a fence watching the cars go by stopping to pass the time of day the traveler said I never could stand living out here people say that about here too huh I could never live where you live we'll go visit the majority of the world and you'll thank God for this place if you could just go look at how most people live you would thank God every day for running water hot water air conditioning you would thank God I need to get that thankfulness back into the church people we've become so complacent so complaining we forget that these think we the things we take for granted people people don't you have a water and I'm watering my grass and it grows this high and I pee got to come cut it down this low oh there's a drought coming yeah and there's probably is and maybe that'll get people on their knees water rationing I mean so I mean we got we were so comfortable I don't think we realize it so anyway the man that was traveling stopped he said to the old man I could never live out here you don't see anything and I'm sure you don't travel like I do I'm on the go all the time the old man on the fence looked down at the stranger and said I can't see much difference in what I'm doing and what you're doing I sit on the fence and watch the cars go by and you sit in your car and watch the fences go by it's just the way you look at things and that is that is very true on this area of disappointment despair discouragement you we have to we have to take our and change our perspective because when Paul says one thing I do I forget those things which are behind me tells me that I'm gonna have the tendency to remember so forgetting I have to forget now you don't forget the lessons learned right you have you better remember the lessons but you forget you don't live in that past oh whoa the what-ifs the could ifs okay this right could us see I cut that one what if could have what shoulda all these things we live in this this this spot in the enemy loves he goes now I can now I can now you live in this air of regret and disappointment because a person who regrets her marriage are they more inclined to have an affair than the person who loves their marriage if the person regrets their life and their they educational they didn't pursue education they didn't pursue a career and they just live in that do you think they're gonna be happy to be around at home or do you think you'll hear this every month when you're getting a fight if it wasn't for you I'd be single and happy and rich but now I got it wrong don't know I see some of this don't do that mm-hmm you did you just miss the whole play the sermon but doesn't think about it if he can keep us me too in a regret and disappointment then he can manipulate and control our decisions why did I pastor why did I just stay in real estate and make a lot and relax why what if I just live in that you think I might treat you guys a little differently oh yeah but you can't live in that you can't you can't go back into there keep revisiting basically it all boils down to what I talk about all the time bring your thoughts captive bring your thoughts captive let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Philippians also says take think about things that are noble and pure and honest it's taking your thoughts captive versus your thoughts taking you captive because we're the thoughts go the feet follow there's not new truth this is all this is all truth that's been around for millennia Philippians 3:12 Paul says not that I've already attained or I'm already perfected but I press on that word there press it it's like you've got this force and you're pressing it it's easy to go back in this back here nobody got to press forward and press forward and press forward when people say oh the Christian life is difficult yeah it's a battle you're in warfare go ask a Navy SEAL if he's ever pressing in or if it's just a walk cakewalk same thing with us we're pressing in so Paul says I press in that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended Christ but one thing in other words he's in the process of following price I'm in the process of following him I haven't apprehended him yet I'm not on that side of eternity yet I'm still living in the sinful fallen world and still sin is still influencing but I'm pressing forward to Christ to eventually in a hold of him but while I'm doing that here's what I do I do not count myself to have apprehended him but one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind me and reaching forward it's another action I've got to reach forward I'm pressing I'm reaching forward to those things which are ahead I press toward what's his problem he's talking about pressing and reaching and pressing and reaching he's trying to get to understand it's a battle you're pushing you're pushing against spiritual influences that are hell-bent on destroying you there's a fight there we wrestle not or to say we pattycake none we just we wrestle we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against peer spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies principalities strongholds demonic influence you wrestle against those I wrestle against those as soon as I put down my guard here he comes so Paul saying press reach press reach and as you're doing forget forget the past sorry devil you should have got me twenty years ago now I'm on God's side and you're in trouble sorry forget no I don't care what I did no no I care what I did but I'm not gonna let it control me and manipulate me I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus it's interesting he says therefore let us as many as are mature have this mind what is that mind Paul he's saying those of us who are mature in the faith have the same mind that we're all going to be reaching forward and pressing forward together forgetting the past but if any of you think otherwise God will reveal even this thing to you nevertheless to the degree that we have already attained walk by the same rule let us be of the same mind now a couple things real quick I want to talk about before I move on Paul pressed forward in his attitude and in his actions you know I say almost Shane come on we all know that no I don't think we do because a lot of people press forward in their actions but there sit there grumbling complain the whole way yeah I'll doing this because I have to do it or we'll have a cheerful attitude you know I'm wonderful great but I'm not doing nothing so if you want to get past this disappointment and regret and despair and all for God that all that all had God had all that got house for you you know that's gonna be a tongue twister you have to do both you have to have the right attitude pressing forward with the right actions do it do it this is a great point in the sermon to remind you where's the power of the word of God lie in the application so so you can have the attitude but not apply it and you're only doing half forgetting is a mental discipline forgetting is a mental discipline it's a battle because the devil do you believe the devil plants thoughts if not who's planting all those thoughts the flesh yeah and the devil and the world they all work together so it's a mental it's a mental discipline Shane you remember who you were in their 20s and remember how you ruin or remember all that remember it's a mental discipline taking thoughts captive and saying devil now you just upset me now I'm going to get up extra early tomorrow and spend time with God I'm gonna worship Him that's what I'm gonna I'm going to turn that into the stepping stone now this is interesting too Paul said as many as are mature as many as are mature and I actually spent quite a bit of time in the first service I'm hoping I can remember everything because it's not my notes and God just it's I felt gave me a lot of things on this point here's the thing about spiritual maturity do you realize that you can have a Christian who's been a Christian 25 years and then there's a believer who's been a Christian for four years and this person can be more mature but see that doesn't work logically wait a minute you worked at Boeing for 25 years and you've only worked for four and you're more why don't we don't see it like that maturity when the Bible talks about maturity it comes from obeying the Word of God as I obey the Word of God as I follow after Christ as I everything we talked about I'm mature in my faith I don't need this how would that look if I use this for water but folks we left but that's true you will never mature in your faith that's why you can say I've been a Christian 20 years I can been a Christian 25 I been Christian 30 years you're acting like a five-year-old it doesn't matter how many time you've been on how much time you've got on the time clock it matters how much you've been changing is your heart when the Bible says do not let unforgiveness and bitterness reign if that's all you've been doing you're not maturing when it says step up be a man if that's not what you're doing you're not just counting down the months and years you're not maturing you're stagnant you're growing you're a little baby in the faith because you're not following what the Word of God says Paul says those who are mature Peter says those who mature the Bible talks about maturity maturity maturity is directly result it's a direct result of obeying the Word of God as I obey the Word of God I've become mature as I'm tempted to unbe be unforgiving and bitter and resentful as I cast that away and follow Christ and obey it I've become more mature as I deal with heartbreak and disappointment biblically speaking I become more mature as I love my wife as Christ loved the church or try I become more mature now if I'd done all this perfectly not even close but there's a big difference between a heart saying Lord I want to do this right and I want in falling forward and doing it and getting back up and putting these things in practice listen I have as much difficulties anybody else not allowing unforgiveness to creep in if you ever want to be her to plan a church I'm just just telling you up front uh never never so difficult than planning to church life but if you handle it biblically God is chipping away stuff and me too oh you see a little bit of pride in better knock that off how everybody likes the way you speak or write then off you're gonna be a jerk to people now in here they're not gonna like you and they're just gonna and they just keeps chipping and chipping and molding and shaping and chipping and chipping and molding and shaping so it's for it's for both of us iron sharpens iron but that's how you grow spiritually if anybody if as anybody told you that you you're just not mature believer the reason is you're not applying the Word of God listen if we're going through the same problems year in and year out and you're in and you're out and you're in and you're out and there's no maturity it's in maturity it's an immature believer and that's how you grow you don't measure by I've read through the Bible three times now and I've been a Christian 22 years you measure it by is your heart growing are you maturing yes you should be reading the Word of God absolutely but the Pharisees read it I mean we can we can get caught up in this checklist and I've been I mean there's people in this room you've been Christians longer than me and there's other people I've been Christians longer than them and they are just they're very mature more mature than I was at that age so with God we can't keep playing in games with I'll follow God today but not this day I'll compromise here not there and it would go and we never mature we never grow with you ever so I'm just stuck I can't get out of this this is why we need to start applying the Word of God to our lives is it easy no very challenging very difficult if me and Morgan getting an argument sometimes it happens I know it's hard to believe and I take a drive and I've convicted the whole way I have two choices go home and apologize or just hold it in and just be bitter and angry do I mature that way or do I mature the other way and then I set example for my home and apologize to my children I grow in my faith and become mature and stronger my faith that's what spiritual maturity is it's not how long you've been a Christian although length is good Paul says don't lay hands on no man suddenly actually can appoint elders if there have been novices because there needs to be some time and some seasoning but for the majority of believers when the Bible talks about maturity it actually says it's interesting it doesn't say in 20 years you'll be mature it just says be mature the active sense of the verb in the Greek language is it to act if you're doing something you're being mature you're being mature you ever tell your kids you're being immature what do you gauge that on how old they are or how they're acting oh how old they are okay how about both when I see your being so immature what does that mean they're acting the way that does not fit their age if my two-year-old is acting the same as my ten-year-old then I tell my ten-year-old you acting immature I'm not gonna tell my two-year-old she is because that's how two-year-olds act you see the difference we should be growing this sure we should have mature believers who wanna who want to apply the Word of God to their lives that's how you'll mature and yeah and here's an interesting we're either maturing or were in maturing you're not gonna find this happy medium where I don't have to change because when you shoot for the happy medium that means I'm not going to obey I'm not going to do certain things I'm not going to change my attitude and you actually immature and that's that's honestly one of the hard parts with with having you know a church or just in general talking to people and and it's in you know talking to them saying listen haven't we talked about this four years ago and three years ago and two years ago and last year and what do you what what do you want me to say this is different the problem is you're not growing you're not maturing so Paul is clear that we have to be mature there's an aspect there we have to okay Lord I've been in mature I've been dealing with disappointment and just regret I need to mature I need to put these things behind me and press forward to what you have in store for me and then he says in verse 17 brethren join in following my example so we're supposed to follow the example of Paul and note those who so walk according to Paul according to christ-like character that's that your pattern verse 17 verse 18 for many walk of whom I've told you often and now tell you even in weeping that they are enemies of the cross is it possible for a person to go to church and be an enemy of the cross it's strong language but it's true in a nutshell what Paul saying is if a person I'm not talking about perfectionism right I'm talking about just you know following after God not perfectly but the best of our capability if if there's not a Christ likeness in them if there's no fruit there's not a there's not a resemblance of their master there's not a hint of their Lord they're not they're not following as Christ would have them follow they are enemies to the cross in the church in America in this church yeah probably there are enemies of the cross and why do I say difficult things like this to awaken to stir here's how we know Paul could you be more clear verse 19 whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame who set their mind on earthly things I don't know about you but that was when I read this week those who actually set their mind on earthly things are an enemy of the cross again not a struggle we all struggle with you know my flesh loves things my spirit says no but when you actually set it's like that that word there if I can remember was like setting a bone or setting something you actually set your mind unearthly some things so I'm gonna set my mind on earthly things I like the dark I like the demonic I like the sexual immorality I like these things I'm gonna set my mind on these things I'm gonna come to church and play Christian so y'all you know some that's what good people do but I'm gonna set my mind on earthly things Paul said you are an enemy to the cross if you don't agree I need a scripture because the where do you want to begin he who loves the world does not have the love of the Father in him and he who loves the father's not gonna love the things of the world you cannot serve two masters you either love the one and hate the other there's a lot of scriptures about this area now I'm assuming most people here obviously I'm not talking about man I just watched a movie I shouldn't have well who hasn't but dude I have yeah you guys don't blame me I can't think of a recent one but there's there's been there's been a few but setting my mind on it like if I setting on my like man as soon as I tell these guys all this stuff I'm gonna go home I've got American Horror Story ready to go I've got you know all this darkness I just want to feel my oh I caught me I'm just saying be careful whatever you set your mind I you you believer should not want to go set their mind on things if they're planning on sinning I can't you know I got a I'm gonna stop somewhere I'm planting my mind on these dark deceptive things that's dangerous we should not want to set our mind on these things the bible says finally brethren whatever things are pure and Noble and honest and upright set your mind on these things meditate on these things that's why I just read finally brethren whatever things are true whatever things are noble whatever things are just whatever things are pure whatever things are lovely whatever things are of a good report if there's anything worthy of virtue or anything worthy of praise set your mind on these things can I give you guys a bit of advice on this I would I would if I were to I don't bet so let's say if I were to bet I would say the majority of people in this room at least 90 percent that verse just went in one ear and out the next and that verse can literally change your mind your life that verse can change your life because we are not thinking about things that are pure and lovely and honest and have good report and things worthy of praise we're actually thinking often of all the opposite and we wonder why God won't get me out of this problem think about this our weed welling on things that are true what is true that would eliminate half of the call phone calls to our friends did you hear did you hear when truth were feeding gossip and negativity and backbiting and disunity there's disunity in the church did you know that if we say hey if it's not true I don't want to talk about it oh there goes half your conversations whatever things are pure pure holy righteous of a high standard whatever things are pure so if we did that that means setting in mind things in our pure are unholy we don't need to go through the whole list cuz we know what it what those things are very well because we set our mind on those things so this this verse could if this this was probably you guys my mom she does a lot of counseling too but if people could apply this verse you would see a lot of changes in their families and in their own personal lives if you could just say listen can you meditate can you just think about throughout the week things that are pure and Noble and lovely and of good report and that are honest and where can you just think about those things no no I can't I can't I'm upset man I'm gonna throw out you know just I'm gonna spew out things on everybody well then I can't help you I can only help a person to the to the to the degree they are going to apply the Word of God you can only help a person to the degree they will apply the Word of God to their life because we're not genies in a bottle we can't just okay here's what you need to do take seven pills call me in the morning here is the answer that's why so many people hear this verse they can quote it they can quote this verse but they don't live it Paul saying here the finally brethren whatever things are pure and Noble and honest and upright and good and worthy of praise just meditate on that so remove the filth from our mouths remove the negativity remove the darkness remove the air against remove the pride remove all those things we're not left with much because we don't focus on these things that would change your heart that would change your life I'm gonna focus on the good I see in other people I'm gonna focus on praiseworthy things I'm gonna focus on things that are noble and right that's what I'm gonna focus on why because where the mind goes the feet follow you can trace the majority of problems back to this verse but it's just not happening memorize this verse whatever things are pure and Noble and true is something true then why meditate on it why if it's not true why sit there meditate on it that's one of the things I just just hate about Facebook all these people struggling with fear and depression well they're posting everything from the I the IRS is coming after your money and the government's coming after your guns and conspiracy theory people are coming after your chemtrails and these people are coming after your your you know Isis is coming to Idaho and they're coming up the Mexican border and it's just fear factor mode all the time just I said I can't handle it anymore okay cuz the guy I serve is still on the throne he saw what he's in control his word tells me not to sit and meditate on those things on a daily basis on the hourly basis you wonder why everybody's in panic mode why met Capri medication is the sky rocketing why are we so afraid because we're not applying the word of God to our lives so don't come up and cry about it go home and live it out the power comes in the application and I only say this because I talked to I've got a dozen people right now ask me for help on fear and anxiety and depression if I posted all that stuff on Facebook you're posted I'd be fearful - have you seen this one pastors are not gonna be able to speak against gay marriage you can go to jail shame I don't know I'm not worrying about that right now I've got a church to lead and a family to raise and who's coming with me Isis is coming up from Mexico what they're gonna have to get through about 30 million gun owners first aren't they I mean what what who's on the throne the earthquake it's gonna take out supporters California in the ocean somebody totally just go watch this movie all right thing is when you guys back there Randy you did huh I said I'm not gonna go watch that movie I live on the San Andreas Fault Line but thinking am I gonna feed those things or am I gonna get worship on in the Word of God say I don't care again enemy there's a God who rules and reigns over you I'm not gonna fear mine fill my mind with all this garbage in all this junk because every single news stories talking about pedophilia same-sex marriage persecution abortion killing killing killing the human mind was not meant to comprehend those things finally brethren whatever things are true and honest and Noble and upright meditate on these things guess what it says after that then you'll have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding be anxious for nothing but in everything in prayer and supplication let make your requests known to God and you will have the peace of God that rules I'm sorry the peace of God that doesn't make sense basically it's my version the peace of God the peace of God do you want that peace look at your mental diet I'm just being honest I go on the news for 20 minutes alright my whole person I'm like we're going to hell in a handbasket I'm just selling it I do I even do I even will lead a church why even show working like we're going to forgive this hunt kids hunker down can we build a bomb shelter in the backyard because it's coming iran's gonna break iran is gonna bring a nuke to los angeles it's gonna blow your way it's like how can you guys live like that you forget who's on the throne and actually the bible discourages all those postings and all those fear and fear mongering should we know what's going on of course yeah but when you begin to dwell on those things you know I got to give a sermon like this once every six months right it dries it literally drives me crazy when I see all it's just Christians posting all this stuff instead of fueling the racism we should be helping blacks white Mexican Latino or everything coming together it's all one body in heaven guess what we're all the same color we're all brothers and sisters in the Lord and we need to act like that instead of fueling are we fueling the fires of racism and rage or we clinching them I see Christians post stuff on Facebook I'm like oh that did not help things Wow you either hate Fox News or you hate CNN both you guys better not meet each other I meet you it's terrible it's embarrassing it is absolutely embarrassing to see what we allow into our minds we have no time for the Word of God we have no time for worship we have no time for prayer yet we have the audacity to sit here and grumble and complain folks our bottom line is right here right here in the Word of God whatever things are pure and Noble and honest and just and upright well I get a lot more to go I'm gonna try to just get through some of it that's a good test too if you said oh man I'm hungry I wish you'd hurry up hearts on a good spot I'm hungry too how do we view God do we trust in him do we obey Him how do we speak about her situations about our life do you know that grumbling complaining is not a good character quality to have let's just be upfront we all suffer with it except my mom I don't think I ever heard you come won't complain awhile we do we grumble we can play it's a view of God it turns into grumbling complaining regret disappointment here's a you know I I don't know if I should go over this but I think it'll help I want to talk about the romantic regret and all the other ones I mentioned earlier this one I kind of talked about already the grass is greener where you water it we put more trust in our feelings than God's sovereignty you know the one that got away that regret you can't live in that state because that will damage your marriage relative regrets parenting regrets anybody have parenting regrets no you don't okay my mom didn't raise her hand I do that's a good spot to live actually apply in Philippians but we have parenting regrets I do and my kids are little if I would have just got him when he was 2 I would have changed that little rebellious streak right through parenting regrets here's just a word of encouragement the perfect father had disobedient children God the perfect father had disobedient children so don't beat yourself up whether your kids are grown whether you've they've done things whether don't beat yourself up because God calls you to be faithful salvation is not your job it's his job leading them and directing him in their older age it's not your job it's his job we're just called call to lead and train them in the fear and admonition of the Lord as they grow and as they mature and nurturing there you go Lord so you cannot beat yourself up for the choices of others because a lot of kids like to say my parents made me do this or my parents made me do and kids have to take their own responsibilities as well you can't we cannot blame other people education regrets anybody have those that's a good time to remind you that a degree from the master is far more amount valuable than a master's degree now if you can further your education go for it do it pray about it just make sure your motives are right that's the Lord why do I want to do this why don't want to do this that's why that's why I want to pursue a PhD so I can put on the back of a book just being honest if you see my new business card they got my PhD last week I wrote my dissertation on God's will or God's sovereignty and man's freedom to choose do you see my I got a PhD last week did you see that that's that's that's it so he has to keep me humble so you're just from the you're just a country boy they can barely speak you better to thank God every time you step up to that now I can use you because you're humble before me and pliable I can't rest on anything where'd you go to school school of hard knocks where gee there's this is God it's God so when he says how did you guys start a church on Saturdays with ten people it's God eventually someday get a building hell it's God I have no clue it's God it sure wasn't me so he gets the credit what about career regrets remember this one if it wasn't for you I would be career regrets you know what I've noticed that's really a status regret a career regret is really a status regret I wish I was a vice principal Locker the vice president walk heed why status I wish I was this status so again stop letting the world guide our thoughts and get back to what God's Word says financial regrets anybody have those remember the average u.s. citizen earns between 2.5 and four million dollars in their lifetime where did all that money go we regret it but use that as a stepping stone now say lord help me get back on track help me with my budgeting and my bills and even in this area it's funny finally brethren whatever things are true and Noble and honest and upper if you think about these things in all areas of your life it'll help to flourish but when you bring in negativity and falsehood impurity it hurts and affects all areas of life and the final one we talked about health regrets we live in a body worth trillions and trillions of dollars yet we trash it and one of the reasons people don't like sometimes I talk about this I guess you got a you got to separate your physical and your spiritual but I see them often as parallel when I'm taking care of the gift that God has given me to minister to others I feel much better you would not want to hear me up here right after for hamburgers and a bit I'd say man my Mac can you handle this one you got a backup sir me because I'm just tired I'm going home going to bed I'm not gonna minister to people so we forget how much that affects our physical effects sometimes our spiritual growth as well it affects different areas so let me just break this down learn from it and make changes again God doesn't add he multiplies once we give it back to him I want to close from something I read 2013 I don't know some of you will know that Michael Jordan retired in 2013 did you guys know that remember him I'm dating myself he was one of my favorite Michael Jordan so now you know how old I am anyway he was a really good basketball player if you guys don't know but the ESPN senior writer spent some time with him in 2013 and Michael Jordan lamented I would give up everything now to go back and play the game of basketball when asked how he copes with the devastating fact that he will never be who he was Jordan states you don't you learn to live with it the man has left the court but the addictions won't leave the man see and I like the guy too but he had it's idolatry that's why he's miserable the whole reason I read that is to say this if Michael Jordan is miserable what in the world think makes us think we're going to be fulfilled pursuing things outside of God's will it's impossible we need to restore you need to restore God to the highest position in your life he cannot help a man or a woman who has des thrown him in their heart taking out time now and give God his rightful place in your heart instead of using discouragement to lead you to further despair use it as a stepping stone and I want to encourage you to do it after the service instead of using discouragement and disappointment and despair instead of leaving here still caught in that used as a stepping stone they say okay devil you had me for a while but I'm coming back I'm coming back stronger I'm coming back harder and I'm going to flourish because use that as a stepping stone that's the whole point that's what Paul said I forget those things that are behind and I move forward I press forward to the mark which is which towards Christ Jesus he's the mark he's the goal but let me tell you folks it's a struggle it's a battle it doesn't end this side of heaven don't give up because I've seen God turn something amazing situations around disappointments regret and now people have tremendous joy and peace and sometimes it's interesting we don't feel the joy and the peace until we feel the difficulties think about if somebody's right here and they can see the flames of hell and they they're falling they can literally feel the demonic element pulling them down and God pulls them up saves them you think they might have a little bit different view of worship and of seeking God why because they felt they felt the other end of it now they feel God's grace and forgiveness now there's an appreciation it's the same way you

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Shane Idleman

Id: sOo1VuZDPSU

Length: 54min 20sec (3260 seconds)

Published: Sun May 10 2015