From Inward to Outward and Upward

From Inward to Outward and Upward!! Intro What’s wrong with reveling in my “uniqueness” and “specialness”?  Psalm 139  What do we learn about God in these verses? David? God loves me because of ______– THAT is security! Results in ______to and fierce ______to God – not an ______focus!

I. What's the problem?

A. What the world believes:

B. What the Church believes:

II. Where did this thinking come from?

A. The rise of evolutionary thought and existentialism

B. Modern psychology and humanism

III. Why is this a problem?

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

A. What the Bible says:

1 1. We are called to ______. Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23

2. We are called to ______. Phil 2:1-5

3. We are called to ______. Matt 22:37-40

4. We are called to ______.

Prov 3:34, 25:27, 27:2; Isaiah 57:15, 66:1-2; Matt 5:3; Eph 4:2; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:5-6

B. We are warned ______self-love. 2 Tim 3:1-4; Ps 10:4

C. We need to understand our real ______.

1. ______. 2. Spiritual ______. Luke 10:41-42; Rom 8:28,29 3. The ______. Matt 4:4, 6:25-34; Phil 4:13; 1 Tim 6:6-8 4. ______in the Lord. Ps 16:2, 37:4

D. Examples from Scripture:

1. ______. Mark 1:7 2. ______. 2 Cor 1:8-9, 11:16-31 3. ______. Phil 2:5-11; Zech 9:9; Matt 11:29; John 13:1-17; 2 Cor 10:1 4. ______. Daniel 4:28-38 5. ______. Isaiah 14:12-15; Matt 4:1-11 6. ______. 3 John 9

IV. What's the Solution?

First…

Second…

2 A. Develop a biblical view of self by eliminating an ______focus.

1. I am a ______in need of salvation. Rom 3:9-12, 7:15-24

"How can anyone be arrogant when he stands beside the cross?" CJ Mahaney

2. I am a ______sinner based on justification and ______. Rom 2:1-10, 6:11; 1 Cor 15:10; 2 Cor 10:17; Eph 2:1-10; Phil 3:9; Col 2:13-14

3. I am a ______Christian. Rom 8:28-29; Eph 4:17-32; Phil 1:6; Col 3:3, 5, 8-10

4. I am to live to ______God, not myself! Matt 6:33; 1 Cor 10:31; 2 Cor 5:9-15

5. I am to live a life of ______, not self-pleasure. Matt 16:24-26; Luke 9:23

6. I trust God to meet my ______. Matt 6:19-33; Luke 10:38-42; Phil 4:19; I Tim 6:8; Heb 4:16

7. Understand that loving myself is a sign of ______. 2 Tim 3:1-5

8. Whatever gifts and abilities I have, I have ______from God. 1 Cor 4:7

"The world's smallest package is a man wrapped up in himself." Chuck Swindoll

 Practical steps to eliminating an INWARD focus:

1. _____ God to help me! Ps 139:23,24 2. ______my sin to God and the appropriate people. 1 John 1:9 3. ______of my pride and cultivate a spirit of ______. 1 Peter 5:5-7; Ps 101:5 4. Evaluate myself ______. Rom 12:3; Gal 6:3-5  What are my ______? Rom 12:1-8; 1 Cor 12

3  Am I living in ______to God's Word? Matt 7:1-5; 1 John 2:3-6  Am I ______and growing? Eph 4:17-24; Phil 2:12-1 5. Ask a friend/mentor or my spouse to ______. Gal 6:1

B. Develop an ______--Others-oriented living.

"I want to minister to you in some way today, whether by an encouraging word, word of exhortation, a smile that says I care about you, or by praying for you. This type of approach to relationships does away with the fear that comes from thinking about ourselves. We will have rid ourselves of the need for esteem because we will have 'lost ourselves' in ministry to others."--The Danger of Self Love, Paul Brownback, pg 153-154.

 Practical steps to developing an OUTWARD focus:

1. Study the "______" in Scripture. 2. ______how I will serve. 3. Serve and give ______. 4. When I hear of a need ______and then DO something about it! 5. Be more ______about others than myself. Phil 2:1-4 6. Do something that would ______someone else. Rom 15:1-3 7. Put my spiritual gifts into practice for the benefit of the ______and the glory of God…not for myself. Rom 12, 1 Cor 12

8. Love others no matter how I ______. Matt 22:37-40

Love is the active and sacrificial pursuit of another person's highest welfare--what God desires for them. It is not primarily an emotion. Emotions are the "spice of life"--but spice as a whole meal is horrible!! --Dr. David Smith, Master's College

C. Develop an ______: a high view of God.

The greatest peril of self-love is that it is worship of self.

4 "Our whole being is to be employed in worshiping and serving God. Here is a totally God-centered orientation. Life consists not in looking inward and feeling good, bad, or otherwise about self. Rather, it centers on God, who is to inspire our awe."-- Brownback, pg 147.

 Our God Most High is:

1. ______.

The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Ps 103:19

 He is to be worshiped--we are not. Ex 20:4-5  He does as He pleases. Ps 135:5-6  He is subject to no one. Acts 17:24-26  God makes choices and we have no right to criticize Him. Is 45:5-9  He is the head over all authorities. Col 2:10

Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne. They will allow Him in His workshop to fashion worlds and stars…to dispense His bounties…to sustain the earth and bear up pillars of light…but when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash their teeth…for God on His throne is not the God they love.--Charles Spurgeon

2. ______--

 To keep His Word. Num 23:19; 2 Tim 2:13  His faithfulness is unlimited. Ps 36:5  His faithfulness is great. Lam 3:22-23  He keeps His promises. Deut 7:7-9  He's faithful to not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. 1 Cor 10:13  He is faithful to forgive. 1 John 1:9; Ps 32 & 103  He faithfully afflicts and disciplines us. Ps 119:75; Heb 12  3. ______. Ps 139, 147:5; Ezek 11:5; John 21:17; Heb 4:13 4. ______. Ex 3:14; Ps 33:11, 119:89; Jer 31:3; Mal 3:6; James 1:17 5. ______. Job 38-42; Ps 18:13-15, 62:11; Dan 4:35 6. ______. Ps 33:5, 52:1, 119:68; 1 John 1:5 7. ______. Ex 34:5; Num 14:18; Ps 86:15, 145:8

5 8. ______. 1 Kings 3:6; Ps 86:5, 103:17, 136:1; Luke 1:78; 1 Peter 1:3 9. ______. 1 John 4:8

Practical steps to developing an UPWARD focus:

1. ______to live my life to please God…not me! 2 Cor 5:9-10; Gal 1:10 2. Meditate on the ______of God. 3. Read books that will help me learn more about God and focus on Him rather than on me.

4. ______my prayer time with prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God. 5. As I read Scripture, look first for what I can learn about ______. 6. Work on seeing my ______through God's perspective, rather than my own, faulty one.

7. Instead of asking, ______? I will ask, ______? ______? 8. Begin a "Joy Journal." 9. ______each day expressing gratefulness to God.