Pack Your Bags • Part 1┃"Now And Then"

hi everybody welcome to your move I'm Andy Stanley so what's next for you what you got coming up and is it possible to prepare for what's next when you've never experienced next I think so and today that's what we're gonna talk about right here on your moon a couple of weeks ago my son Andrew and I went to hear our favorite preacher at Jerry Seinfeld and it was fabulous that the sermon it was kind of like all over the place there wasn't really like a theme which I could it was hard to follow the theme of the sermon he did mention God a couple times and I wasn't even sure how that connected to the theme of the sermon but anyway during is incredible sermon he made one great point that I thought was so good we should do a whole series about it and he made the point that wherever we are we're never really settled to where we are we're always thinking about what's next so wherever we are toward the end of wherever we are we say we got to go I got to go I got to go in fact some of you you're already thinking about you got to go and that was this point I thought that's true wherever we are we're never really settled we just always thinking about always thinking about what's next what's next what's next so this is a series about how to prepare to get to where you got to get to from where you currently are that you just got to from where you recently were that you can't even remember okay so that's what that's what our theme is okay so the short version of pack your bags is how to prepare for what's next now hopefully you have something coming up next that you are looking forward to you may be slightly nervous you may feel prepared I'm prepared but hopefully you got something coming up in the next few months or maybe the next year or maybe you've got a three year window and there's something coming up that you know you're looking forward to maybe you got somebody it's about to graduate from high school or graduate from college or graduate school maybe you're about to get married you got a wedding or your son or your daughter or grandson or granddaughter you got a wedding in the future maybe your brother or sister or older brother or older sister maybe your I'm about to have a baby it's like wow that's that's you know how do I get ready for that maybe it's another baby maybe you're about to start a new job or you're looking forward to a new job maybe a new school maybe you're on the verge of becoming empty nesters you know and you you're so excited about that you think and then y'all look at each other it's like can we handle that much time with it alone you know so it's like you're excited about it um some of you retirement and that's a I don't mean retirement like in the next three months but the next big thing for you in other words you've kind of got into the empty nest thing and the next the next thing so for all of us hopefully for all of you there's something coming up that's annexed that you're actually looking forward to you see it coming and you're excited and you're a little bit stressed about it and that makes perfect sense let me explain why whatever is next means a transition a transition always means change and even if it's a good change it results in stress that transitions all transitions are always stressful even the ones that you look forward to I mean remember the last time you had the conversation with the mother of a bride-to-be remember how excited she was and how stressed out she was all at the same time right so here's the question are there really things are there things that we can do now to prepare for what's next I mean is this even possible the reason I asked the question I posed the question is because you know when you think about what's next it's like you're you're looking forward to it but since you've never experienced that exactly can you really even get ready and the answer is yes you really can't prepare for what's next but as we talked about how to prepare for what's next there are two things that you have to keep in mind because these are the things that if you don't keep in mind you'll lose a little bit of perspective and these things throw people off constantly in fact you'll be able to identify with at least one of these two things the first thing is this that regardless of what else you're packing for whatever's next for that new job for the new school for the new to move to the new city marriage you know whatever it is whatever how whatever you're packing just remember along with everything else that you that you're packing for what's next you pack you okay this is really important wherever you go there you are okay this may be the most important thing you hear for a long time wherever you go there you are and here's why that's important in our minds we fool ourselves and trick ourselves into thinking well once I get out of the house once I get into school once I'm married once we have kids once the kids grow up once the kids are gone we think somehow a new view and a new do is going to be a new you that somehow once I'm in a different environment different perspective and I kind of find myself and remake myself and transform myself a new view a new do does not result in a new you you are still the same old girl you used to be you are still the same old guy you used to be you're still the same Bob Seger said a long time ago you're still the same right same ethics same morals same strength same weaknesses right same you're just still the same you just took yourself with you okay second thing to keep in mind okay because it gets tricky is that there is no necessary correlation there is no necessary correlation between knowing what's next and being prepared for what's next now if you don't think that's true you know the proof is every single Saturday and Friday then Sunday's as well but most Saturday's all over this country all over the world young men and women get together and they get all dressed up and get their families there and they take these vowels and they say I do and all of us who are a few years on the other side of I do know that I do doesn't mean you can it just means you plan to but you don't know if you can do or not so you're having to can do right but there's but there's this thing in me that's like well since I know what's upcoming next I'm prepared for what's coming next and that's not the case at all and by the way not only are you not sure you can do you're not so sure he can do is she can do either and the point being that way better than a promise way better than a plan is preparation that preparation for what's next preparation for what's next Trump's a plan and Trump's a promise every single time and that's why this series is so extraordinarily extraordinarily important if you've got something coming up next so the good news is we get a lot of help and today we're gonna get a little help from a guy named James James had a famous brother his brother was Jesus and so in our New Testaments there is a document written by James the brother of Jesus and he weighs in on how to prepare for what's next in fact at the end of what he writes and this is from the first century at the end of what he writes he makes this promise this is the tail end this is what we're going to end up today he says if you do what I've just suggested that you do you will be blessed in what you do if you do what I'm about to tell you to do and the next season you will be blessed in what you do there's something you can do in this season that will set you up for success in the next season now this is as you're gonna find out in the next few minutes this is a really big deal for me personally and I'll tell you why when I began to teach you know many many years ago I love this passage because because of the illustration in this passage I love this passage but when I was much younger and would teach this passage I would say you know what James the brother of Jesus says the New Testament says the Bible says therefore we ought to do this but now having gone through many many transitions in my personal life and having had the privilege of being taught when I was young what I'm about to teach you that James teaches all of us and having experienced the benefit of I can tell you from personal experience that what James says at the end is absolutely true you will be blessed in what you do if you do what he suggests that we do so this is a really really big deal he wrote this in the first century brother of Jesus it's kind of cool to know that James was not one of Jesus disciples in fact James didn't really thought James kind of thought his brother was crazy and then when his brother died he thought probably what a waste and then he met his brother on the other side of the crucifixion and went oh I was wrong and James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem James believed that his brother was his Lord so here's what he says and these are familiar words perhaps if you were raised in church he says this do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves so here's here's the trick here's what he's saying he's saying do not fool yourself into thinking that if you've heard it it's gonna make any difference if you think hearing it makes a difference if you think listening to it makes the difference you deceive yourself and this is a big deal especially for us church people and especially for any kind of religious person even if you're not a Christian you're some other part of than some other religion there is something in us and I get this there's something in us that thinks since I was in the room I'm a better person since I have participated in the conversation I'm a better person since I've been to church you know three weeks in a row I am there's something I'm a better person and it's true it's great to be in a circle it's great to be in a row James says don't allow that habit you have of listening and hearing or maybe even reading don't allow it to deceive you don't fall into the trap of thinking that's what makes the difference well what makes the difference he says I'm glad you asked do what it says it's not enough to listen it's not enough to hear it's not enough to be convicted and one of the things that us Americans and I'm probably Europeans as well but just speaking for Americans and I think a lot of Canadians the same way there's something in us that when we're in an environment like this or we're watching at home and somebody like me says something very convicting or that you know kind of gets right up in your face and there's something in you that's like oh you're right we confuse that and we don't confuse it that for us that's kind of a religious experience in fact for some of you the point of going to church is to feel bad about yourself because you feel like that's a religious experience where did you get that the goal isn't to feel bad about yourself the goal is it to hear the goal isn't to know I ought to I ought to I ox who James says you need to do something with what you've heard so he says this anyone that would be you and me anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says anyone that listens to the word but does not do what it says and then he gives us one of the greatest illustrations maybe the best illustration in all the New Testament maybe all the entire Bible anyone who hears anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says this is so amazing is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself or herself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like here's his point he says to listen to scripture or to listen to the truth taught and to not do anything with it is like getting up in the morning looking in the mirror going oh that's horrible and then getting dressed and going to school going to work going to coffee going to whatever you're going to and forgetting what you saw in the mirror when we look in the mirror we are reminded that something needs to be done when you see something you do something and you know why because a mirror requires a response doesn't it in fact I know how long each one of you stands in front of the mirror every single morning of the week I do you stand there until it gets better that's how long you stand there you do not leave in fact some of you thought it was better you are ready to go you're at the front door or the back door and you glance in the mirror and you're like it's not quite better enough and you were late for school you were late for work you were late for an appointment you were late for breakfast you were late for coffee because it wasn't quite better enough and you went back and you changed something you had on or you went back and you fixed something or you pulled it back and you tied it back and your side this is a hat day this is hat day okay because that's what Amira does a mirror requires a response and here's the interesting thing because we deceive ourselves this is why this is such a powerful teaching we deceive ourselves no one gets credit no one gets credit for looking in the mirror in the real world in other words if you get up tomorrow and you look in the mirror and you think wow that is horrible that's horrible and then you just get dressed and go to work and your boss comes up to you and says hey there is no way you can go in there and talk to clients looking like that and you say to your boss but I looked in the mirror though your boss would look at you like you're crazy why because in the real world we don't get credit for looking in the mirror right but in the realm of our personal behavior in the realm of our personal development we do that all the time we sit under teaching we read books we listen to somebody say something and we think oh that's so convicting well what are you going to do nothing just come back next week for another dose of conviction isn't that the point and James says if that's your pattern if that's your pattern you are deceiving yourself it's obvious what you should do you're just not doing it now here's the thing if you are in the habit this is how it connects to our series if you are in the habit of seeing something but not doing something if you're in the habit of seeing something but doing nothing now guess what when you move into that next season when you are apart or you step into what's next you will see something and do nothing then as well because I have it now I'm doing nothing with what you hear and what you see will be the habit you carry with you into the next season which means you won't be prepared the James doesn't stop there fortunately he says but big contrast but and now he introduces the habit now he introduces the first habit we're gonna look at that prepares us that prepares you that prepares me for what next and this is so fabulous he says but who ever again that's all of us but whoever looks intently in the Greek term here the idea here is you're walking along and you notice something and you stop and you get down on one knee and you gaze intently you look at this thing until you figure out what it is this isn't a glance this is a stop and stare he says but whoever looks intently into the perfect law and I have to explained this but this is so incredible when Jesus was doing his earthly ministry one day someone asked him Jesus what are the what are the what's the greatest commandment this was a common question for first century Jews and first century Jews all had the same answer to this question and said well the greatest commandment is love the Lord your God with all your heart soul stream - treeck and of course everybody's nodding and he went and everybody stopped and your neighbor as yourself these are the greatest - not greatest - like number one and number two like in sequence the greatest - they go together well that was like a game-changer showstopper I mean you just took six hundred and thirty one commands are reduced it to two but he wasn't done this is so powerful on the last night of his life before he was crucified he gathers with his disciples they've heard him teach this so many times and he says guys tonight I'm giving you a new command and Jesus says here it is from now on I want you to love one another the way I have loved you this is the law of Jesus you are to love one another not the way you've been loved not even the way you want to be loved that's the golden rule this is the Platinum rule you are to love one another the way I have loved you and no doubt they thought to themselves those occasions when Jesus loved them well they had no idea because a few hours later he would be arrested he would die for their sin he would rise from the dead and he would say now that's what I'm talking about so when James says look whoever looks intently into the perfect law he's not talking about 631 Commandments I don't even think he was talking about - I think he boiled it down as Jesus into this an idea the law says the thing that we're going to look at intently the thing we pause and stare at is this idea that I'm supposed to love you and I'm supposed to respond to you and I'm supposed to love you and I'm supposed to respond to you the way that God in Christ responded to me and that James says something incredible he says and when you do that and when I do that we will experience freedom that the promise of gazing intently into Jesus perfect law and doing it not just memorizing it not just groaning on the inside but doing it is the promise of freedom that seeing and doing now listening and doing now results in freedom later now the reason I'm so passionate about this and the reason I just would love to grab everybody by the collar and say you just you just got it you know if you don't trust James trust me if you don't trust me trust James it's such a big deal it's because when I was a kid this is this is the kind of stuff I was taught if I don't give you a couple examples when I was a kid I was taught and these are my words not the words they used because I had to you know make it memorable for me I was taught this is how you manage your money give first lift second I mean give first save second live on the rest did you give you save and you live now you know when I was making three dollars and 82 cents an hour at winn-dixie when I was a 16 16 years old you know and the whole idea I've taken a percentage of my hard-earned money and giving it to the church because that's what we you know that we didn't have lots of nonprofits back then you just give it to the church I mean that they didn't seem very liberating and then when I started working at the plaque company where I'm sitting tied and burning my fingers and staying up all hours you know trying to get all these orders ready the whole idea of just giving a percentage of my money off the top give first save second live all the rest that didn't seem liberating in fact liberating sounds more like live first save second and give the leftovers this did not feel very liberating this did not feel like obeying Jesus was leading to freedom and the reason in the New Testament the were commanded to be generous the reason we're commanded to be generous is because generosity this is rocket science generosity helps other people the reason we give is because generosity keeps our hands I'd open we give because it helps other people and jesus said to his disciples look forget everything else I want you to love people the way I've loved you and how have I loved you I have given my life for you so anytime you can give something to help another person you're acting like Jesus so you give first save second live on the rest well you know what you know what the results of this has been after years and years and years and years and years and years of doing this financial freedom because when you live like this you stay out of debt you don't even have to decide to stay out of debt you just stay out of debt this so this so creates a template for how you manage all your money at the end of the day you end up with financial freedom James is this what I'm talking about another thing that you were taught that I was taught that we're supposed to forgive why are we supposed to forgive well because God forgave you through Christ I mean this is Jesus said I want you to do whatever I do for you I want you to love the way I've loved you and I'm forgiving you so now you're supposed to go forgive everybody else well problem with forgiveness is forgiveness feels like I'm punishing me and the person that did me wrong is getting away with it I mean it's just there's nothing intuitive about forgiveness right but over time you learn that one of the most liberating things you can do for you is to forgive the people who've been cruel to you forgiveness is only liberating if you do it not if you're just convinced of the concept then here's the big one right then we'll move on sexual purity like really sexual purity is liberating I don't think so we just need to think about it sexual purity is very liberating and you know this ties directly to what Jesus taught because you know what sexual purity really is remaining pure sexual and sexually it's not about me it's really about honoring other people because when you exercise the sexual self-control do you know what you're doing you're honoring someone else and not only are you honoring them you're honoring every single one of their future relationships by not becoming a regret by not becoming a regret you are honoring their next relationship and you are honoring them and jesus said that's all I'm asking you to do is I want you to do for others what I have done for you I want you to love the way I've loved and besides in the end of the day you don't you discover you discovered sexual purity actual paves the way actually paves the way to intimacy the sexual purity paves the way to intimacy there is a payoff there is Liberty there is freedom because eventually everybody understands whether you admit it or not and this is where our culture needs such a wake-up call that exclusivity exclusivity exclusivity is what leads to romance not experience experience does not lead to romance exclusivity leads to romance and where there's exclusivity and where there's romance in a relationship there is Liberty and I could go on and on and on and on and James is right that when we stop and stare in gaze and find our reflection in the mirror of this incredible law of Liberty and we stare at it and gaze at it long enough to decide what we need to do about it and then we do something with it it makes a difference because looking and making the adjustments now is what creates Liberty later and you know why come on because the seasons of our life are connected that's why when you say well you know what this is what I'm doing now but when I move now they're connected well you know this is what I'm doing now but once I'm married nope they're connected well this is what I'm doing now but once I get out of the house and get to school now they're connected so here's what he says the whole verse but whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it not forgetting what they have heard or read or so listen to not forgetting not forgetting not forgetting but doing it and then the payoff and the promise they will be blessed in what they do now there's a little Greek thing going on here that I just want to make sure you understand because this is so important James is not saying that what you do will be blessed it's way better than that what James is saying here is that you personally will be blessed in the doing you will be blend the word blessed simply means happy that you will be happy you will be fulfilled in the doing of what God has called you to do the payoff is what happens in you in your response to what God has called you to do in other words the habit of doing the habit of doing will make you happy that there is personal fulfillment in responding to what we see in the mirror and that is a habit that prepares you and prepares me for whatever is next being a doer now being a doer now is preparation for being a doer later even when the dues change because here's the trick you think well once I get to college it's a different season it you know it's a bunch of different dudes yeah but if you're not doing now you won't do then well I'm single and you know once I'm married all the rules change and it's a bunch of different dues yet but if you're not doing the dues of single now you're not going to do the dues of marriage later who do you think you are again a new view a new dude does not make a new you you're still the same person you need to be this is why the best preparation the best preparation for what's next is to do what God has called you to do in this season because it sets you up to do what God will call you to do and the season that follows and when you step across the line into that next season there will be liberty you will be blessed and what you do and so I'm just telling you this season of my life in this stage of my life having gone through a bunch of transitions I am such a thoroughly satisfied customer and my temptation is to say I can't imagine where I would be if it hadn't been for this teaching the problem is I can't imagine where I would be I have a feeling I know exactly where I would be if I had just been a hearer only and the reason I say that and I bet you can identify with this some of you is my greatest regrets in life and I have them just like you do my greatest regrets in life are all associated with hearing and not doing and your greatest regrets in life are associated with hearing and not doing your greatest regrets in life are associated with somebody tried to tell you and you didn't want to hear it so you wouldn't have to do it so if you're not doing now you probably won't do later which means you won't be prepared for what's next because doing not hearing is what makes all the difference now the interesting thing and this shouldn't shock us is Jesus taught the same thing but he taught his in the vert and though you know he his version was a parable a very familiar parable that I'm just gonna read real quickly just the first half of it because many of you know this here's how Jesus said the very same thing therefore anyone which is all of us therefore anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice that is anybody who hears and does is like a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain came down and the floods came up the rains came and the rains came down and the streams rose and the winds blew against and beat against that house yet jesus said it did not fall why because it had its foundation on the rock you know what Jesus was teaching you and me that the way you lay a solid foundation for your life is by being a doer not a hearer and when things get tough and when things get difficult and when things aren't working out your life will not fall down James is pretty clear if your be a doer now you'll be a doer later so two questions over time what are you doing now that you shouldn't be doing that you tell yourself well I won't do that later or hear about this one what are you not doing now what are you not doing now that you should be doing and you tell yourself that you'll start later can I just be real direct James says you're deceiving yourself Jesus says your life may come tumbling down have you ever seen someone's life come tumbling down we all have do you know what all the lives that came tumbling down have in common they knew they'd heard they'd listened somebody had said something and you know what else they have in common the people who love those folks the most saw it happening and couldn't do anything to stop it and every single person whose life came tumbling down at some point along the way was confronted with a mirror that required a response and they said yeah I ought to I should I know I need to think about that yeah somebody yeah I think you're right but not now not now not now so my friends doing not hearing it's what makes the difference and doing not hearing will determine if you're prepared for what's next so what do you need [Music]

Channel: Your Move with Andy Stanley

Views: 18,195

Rating: 4.9029126 out of 5

Keywords: Andy Stanley, Your Move with Andy Stanley, Your Move, better decisions, fewer regrets, how to deal with change, stress, depression, anxiety, stress management, worry, what causes anxiety, uncertainty, prepare for the future, self-help, motivation

Id: Idf6k20imi4

Length: 27min 51sec (1671 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 17 2018