02-10-08 #Disciple Bible Study titled: ‘Compelled To Excellence’

[Disciple]

‘Compelled By Love’
#4 ‘Compelled To Excellence’
2 Corinthians 5:14 and Colossians 3:22-25
Intro.
I think for the most part, people appreciate EXCELLENCE in everything. I also think that for the most part, people demand EXCELLENCE in most things. There are some areas in which people will cut you some slack, but generally speaking, people expect and demand excellence.
When it comes to healthcare, would you want brain surgery performed by a surgeon who failed classes? When it comes to banking, would you want to have a bank that periodically lost your money?
There are some areas in which people will cut some slack, but in some areas we demand and we expect excellence. Personally, if I’m going to a restaurant and expect to pay at least $10- $15 for my meal, I expect and demand excellence. Are there some areas in which God is going to cut us some slack? In what areas concerning your life and service to the Lord, do you think God doesn’t EXPECT and DEMAND excellence?
Where does God say to us: ‘Good enough is good enough’? How often have we said about something we’ve done, ‘that’s good enough, I know it’s not the best I can do, but it’s good enough.’ Are there some areas about our lives and our ministries that God will say, ‘that’s good enough’?
I. What Is The Standard By Which We Measure Excellence?
Everything has a ‘standard’ by which excellence is measured. What is the standard by which we measure and determine excellence in the way we live and serve the Lord? Let’s search the Scriptures and find the ‘standard’ for us:
Matthew 5:48
This verse shows us that God is the STANDARD by which we are to measure our lives. God has set the standard and we are to be like Him. I know this statement of Jesus, ‘be perfect’ is a high standard. Let me help you understand why the standard is set high. Jesus knows that the people of His day were trying to follow the Pharisees. They were the ‘standard’ for the people to follow.
Jesus also knew that the Pharisees were not really living the righteousness of God. They gave a good outward show, but inside their lives where a mess.
Matthew 5:20
Jesus is saying that the righteousness of His people must match the intention of God. And so beginning in verse 21, Jesus shows the intended meaning of the law. ‘you have heard it said, but I tell you’
We need to understand also here that the word ‘perfect’ does not mean sinless. The word in Greek is teleios, it means ‘telescope’ from this word, picture the captain standing on the ship deck looking through the expanding telescope. He continues to open the telescope until it is complete.
I know that in my life I have not and I probably cannot literally, always match what Jesus teaches here. But the ideal is that the ‘righteousness that surpasses the Pharisees’ is mine because of my conformity to the character of God. God has forgiven my failures and has given me a new heart and a new life and now my desire is to be like Him as His will and nature is revealed in Scripture.
It is my desire because of His great love for me to live my life in excellence, to do and to be the very best that I possibly can do and be. If we are to be like God can you think of an area of life in which God has ever done something that was less than excellent?
What about your life? Does your life and ministry for Christ reflect excellence? Is it the very best? Our relationship with Christ ought to reflect excellence. Our living ought to be marked by moral excellence. Our commitment to Christ and His church ought to show excellence. Our compassion for those in need ought to show excellence.
We in the church ought to be the ones who are saying, ‘Good enough isn’t good enough, how can we do this better and more effectively?’ everything about our life and ministry needs to be marked with a passion for excellence. Let’s make it the very best that we give to God.
II. Some Principles To Be Excellent
Colossians 3:23-24
In Colossians 3:23-24 we can find some principles that will help us become excellent in our living and our ministries.
1. Whatsoever ye do- verse 23- Primarily, Paul is talking about slaves. But it has application to anyone who is under the authority of another. All of us have earthly masters. Employer/employee relationships. You may have the most menial job of all but do it with excellence.
2. Do it heartily- verse 23- this talks to us about how we do the work we do. What kind of effort goes into your ministry and service for the Lord? What kind of preparations do you do at home to help get you ready for the church services? When you went to church services today did you go ready to offer God the very best you have to offer?
Whether we are talking about singing in praise to God, giving our tithes/offerings, paying attention to the words of the songs, paying attention to the sermon.
3. Serve the Lord Christ- verse 23- this speaks about why we want to have excellence. What we do in the church is not being done for men, but for the Lord. He is worthy of our very best, most excellent effort.
4. You will receive an inheritance from the Lord- verse 24- this tells us what happens when we live and serve with excellence.
III. How Can I Become Excellent?
To answer this final question and thought about how we can become excellent in our living and ministries for the Lord Jesus Christ, let’s look at a single verse of Scripture.
1 Cor. 9:24
I think this verse is telling us to run with excellence. How do we run with excellence?
Hebrews 12:1
You begin by getting ready to run, you lay aside those things that will hinder and hamper your running. You run to the finish. You can’t quit running in the middle of the race and expect to get the prize. In order to win the prize, I think we must also stay focused on the race. It is so easy to become distracted by the things of the world.
Conc.
2 Cor. 8:7
The church at Corinth had become an excellent church. Paul commends them for their excellence and he encourages them to be excellent also in the matter of giving.
The love of Christ for me compels me to be excellent in my living and in my ministry for Him. I want to do and to be the very best I can do and be.