What’s driving you? Part II

Video ArchiveChurch Notes
Written By Jerry Hovater

CHURCH NOTES:

FIRST, A RECAP:

FIVE COMMON "DRIVES"

1) GUILT: RUNNING FROM REGRETS OR HIDING SHAME.

  • GUILT-DRIVEN PEOPLE ARE MANIPULATED BY MEMORIES; ALLOW THEIR PAST TO CONTROL THEIR FUTURE; OFTEN UNCONSCIOUSLY SELF-SABOTAGE THEIR OWN SUCCESS.

  • WHEN CAIN SINNED, HIS GUILT DISCONNECTED HIM FROM GOD'S PRESENCE; GOD SAID, "YOU WILL BE A RESTLESS WANDERER ON THE EARTH." (GEN. 4:12)

  • MANY PEOPLE IN TODAY’S WORLD - WANDERING THROUGH LIFE WITHOUT A PURPOSE.

2) RESENTMENT: HOLDING ON TO HURTS AND NEVER GET OVER THEM.

  • SOME RESENTMENT-DRIVEN PEOPLE "CLAM UP" (INTERNALIZE ANGER); SOME RESENTMENT-DRIVEN PEOPLE "BLOW UP" (EXPLODE IN ANGER)

  • INSTEAD OF RELEASING PAIN (FORGIVENESS) THEY RELIVE IT OVER AND OVER IN THEIR MINDS (CONSTANTLY TALKING OR THINKING ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THE PAIN).

  • RESENTMENT ALWAYS HURTS YOU MORE THAN IT DOES THE PERSON YOU RESENT. WHILE YOUR OFFENDER HAS PROBABLY FORGOTTEN THE OFFENSE AND GONE ON WITH LIFE, YOU CONTINUE TO STEW IN YOUR PAIN, PERPETUATING THE PAST.

3) FEAR: LETTING THE UNKNOWN CONTROL LIFE AND OUTCOMES

  • FEARS MAY BE RESULT OF A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE, UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS, GROWING UP IN A HIGH-CONTROL HOME, ETC.

  • FEAR-DRIVEN PEOPLE OFTEN MISS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID TO VENTURE OUT; PLAY IT SAFE, AVOIDING RISKS AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO.

4) MATERIALISM: DESIRE TO ACQUIRE BECOMES THE GOAL OF LIFE.

  • THE IDEA THAT HAVING MORE MAKES ME "MORE HAPPY," MORE IMPORTANT, AND MORE SECURE - UNTRUE.

  • POSSESSIONS ONLY PROVIDE TEMPORARY HAPPINESS. WHEN THINGS DO NOT CHANGE, WE EVENTUALLY BECOME BORED AND FIND A NEWER, BIGGER, BETTER VERSION.

5) NEED FOR APPROVAL: ALLOWING THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS TO CONTROL LIFE.

  • MANY ADULTS ARE STILL TRYING TO EARN THE APPROVAL OF “UNPLEASABLE PARENTS”. OTHERS ARE DRIVEN BY PEER PRESSURE, ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE CROWD USUALLY GET LOST IN IT.

  • BEING CONTROLLED BY THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS IS A GUARANTEED WAY TO MISS GOD'S PURPOSES FOR YOUR LIFE. JESUS SAID, "NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS." (MATT. 6:24)

THERE ARE OTHER FORCES THAT CAN DRIVE PEOPLE'S LIVES, BUT ALL LEAD TO THE SAME DEAD END: UNUSED POTENTIAL, UNNECESSARY STRESS, AND AN UNFULFILLED LIFE.

THE HOPELESSNESS OF LIFE WITHOUT PURPOSE

ISAIAH COMPLAINED, “I HAVE LABORED TO NO PURPOSE; I HAVE SPENT MY STRENGTH IN VAIN AND FOR NOTHING." (ISA. 49:4) 

JOB SAID, “MY LIFE DRAGS BY - DAY AFTER HOPELESS DAY"  (JOB 7:6) AND “I GIVE UP; I AM TIRED OF LIVING. LEAVE ME ALONE. MY LIFE MAKES NO SENSE."  (JOB 7:16)

THE GREATEST TRAGEDY IS NOT DEATH, BUT LIFE WITHOUT PURPOSE.

III) GOD’S PURPOSE FOR MAN; “THE WHY FACTOR!”

IF YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR PURPOSE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FULFILL IT.

WE WERE CREATED TO EXPRESS GOD’S IMAGE

“LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE…” — GEN. 1:26

GOD’S IMAGE: THE WAY YOU ACT, NOT THE WAY YOU LOOK.

1 Cor 13:4-8 - REPLACE “LOVE” WITH “GOD”

[GOD] is patient, [GOD] is kind. [GOD] Does not envy, [GOD] does not boast, [GOD] is not proud. [GOD] is not rude, [HE] is not self-seeking, [HE] is not easily angered, [HE] keeps no record of wrongs. [GOD] does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [HE] always protects, [HE] always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [GOD] never fails. — 1 Cor 13:4-8

GOD MADE US TO ACT LIKE HIM; TO REFLECT HIS NATURE.

WE WERE CREATED TO ENJOY FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

“ADAM WHERE ARE YOU?” GOD CAME TO THE GARDEN TO ENJOY FELLOWSHIP WITH WHOM HE CREATED.

  • FELLOWSHIP WAS PART OF THE REASON GOD CREATED US

  • FELLOWSHIP IS COMPANIONSHIP—A MUTUAL SHARING OF AN EXPERIENCE, AN ACTIVITY OR AN INTEREST.

WE WERE CREATED TO DOMINATE THE EARTH

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” — GEN 1:26

  • GODS ORIGINAL INTENTION IS HIS FINAL DECISION

  • HE CREATED US TO DOMINATE THE ENTIRE EARTH

  • ADDICTION TO SUBSTANCE IS THE EARTH DOMINATING US, INSTEAD OF US IT!

    • FASTING CAN HELP US BREAK THE CYCLE

  • MONEY TRIES TO CONTROL OUR LIVES

    • MONEY IS JUST A TOOL

  • LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR LOSS OF PURPOSE ALWAYS LEADS TO CONFUSION AND PAIN

WE WERE CREATED TO BEAR FRUIT

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” — JOHN 15:8

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” — JOHN 15:16 

  • “IF YOUR LIFE CONSISTENTLY BEARS NO FRUIT, GOD WILL INTERVENE TO DISCIPLINE YOU”

  • “IF YOUR LIFE BEARS SOME FRUIT, GOD WILL INTERVENE TO PRUNE YOU”

  • “IF YOUR LIFE BEARS A LOT OF FRUIT, GOD WILL INVITE YOU TO ABIDE”

  • YOUR FRUITFULNESS IS RELATED TO THE FOOD YOU EAT. IF YOUR SPIRITUAL SOURCE IS NOT OF TOP QUALITY, YOUR PRODUCTIVITY WILL SHOW IT.

 

WE WERE CREATED TO WORSHIP

“the people I formed for myself, that they may proclaim my praise.” — ISA 43:21

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” — PSALMS 150:6 

 

WITHOUT A PURPOSE

  • Purpose is the key to life. Without purpose, life has no meaning.

  • Purpose is the “WHY" for the creation of the product.

WHY THE “WHY” IS SO IMPORTANT

  • WHEN ELEMENTS OF NATURE LOSE THEIR PURPOSE, CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION ARE THE RESULTS.

  • WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR SENCE OF PURPOSE, YOU GET “3-D VISION”

    • DISCOURAGEMENT

    • DISILLUSIONMENT

    • DEPARTURE (WHETHER GRADUAL OR INSTANT)

STAY DRIVEN BY YOUR CREATOR

1) TO EXPRESS GOD’S IMAGE

2) TO ENJOY FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD.

3) TO DOMINATE THE EARTH

4) TO BEAR FRUIT

5) TO WORSHIP

Jerry Hovater
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What Forces drive you?