I want to ask you some questions to get you thinking today.  Let’s start here. Do you do good things for people?  As a member of this Spiritual Family that promotes serving and loving, the answer is probably yes.  Now, I want to take it a step further.  When you do something good, does everyone need to know about it?  Did you know that Jesus addressed this?

Matthew 6:1 “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. 2 “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself…3 When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. 4 Just do it — quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.” MSG

This next question can be very challenging here in South Central Pennsylvania, where competing tends to be more common than celebrating others. Can you celebrate another person when they do well or succeed?  Are you genuinely happy for them?  Could you celebrate another church, organization, or team that is doing well and succeeding?  Scripture says that one of the ways we know we are living in the flesh and not the spirit is that we depersonalize everyone into a rival.  And so often, that is exactly what we do.  I will ask you one more warm-up question before we start today.  What is more important, being good or looking good?  We live in a world that gives us the ability to project and advertise how we want to be seen by people…so think about this.  Is who you project, post about, and advertise or show the world the truest version of yourself, or is it something else?  Is what you show the public who you truly are?  If that same question was asked about your faith, it might sound like this:  Are you more comfortable looking Christian or being Christian?  We live in a world where it is very easy to slide into promoting or projecting an image and even competing with others in ways we should not, and that is exactly where we are headed today.  Scripture addresses this often, and I like Paul’s warning to his buddy Timothy here because we see the condition of people today, and we see him painting a picture of the world and culture around us, intense but important here.

2 Timothy 3:1 Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. 2 As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, 3 dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, 4 treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. 5 They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people. MSG

Well, I think we are good and warmed up now!  So, let’s get into this today.  This fall, we have set out to experience life as God designed.  We are walking through a journey to freedom and courage, and the goal is to give us the tools to experience our best lives possible, a life that we can all experience…yet so few do.  It is so interesting that we Christians are so grateful for the full that Jesus says He came to provide for us.  It is a life that Christianity is always pointing to, it’s a life we all want but can often wonder why we aren’t experiencing.  I like to call it our best life possible, and I believe it is something we can and should experience.  We point to it, sing songs about it, and share that concept with others.  In general, we love the concept and would love to experience this life, but that idea of the abundant, full life Jesus came to provide stays an idea in our minds, almost a fuzzy concept that we can’t quite envision playing out in our lives or we may just view it as a way to market Christianity to people, and while it would be nice, it just doesn’t seem to happen in our lives.  And I want you to understand there are many reasons for that, and we have discussed many of them in this series.  We struggle to align with God’s will for our lives and fight with Him for control or get pulled off our purpose because we aren’t in step with God.  We walk through tests, trials, and lonely seasons and often can’t see what God is up to in those brutal moments.  We get pulled into this hurried, rushed, and overwhelming lifestyle, where we live at an unsustainable pace for so long that we can’t see up from down in our lives. Last week, we talked about how we struggle to grow into Spiritual Maturity and never learn to love well.  We saw Jesus say that when we love well, it can make a hard life easier, but for so many Christians, we never do the work to grow into Spiritual Maturity so we can love well.  All these things do one is make a hard life harder.  This theme has stood out on our journey to freedom and courage, and that theme will hit again today!  Life is hard; that is our reality, yet we often make a hard life harder.

Today, we will talk about something that can quickly take away peace, contentment, and joy from our lives. It’s also something that can pull us away from God’s desires and purposes for our lives, can cause us to live outside of God’s design for our lives, and at times, when we fall into this one, it puts us out in front of where we should be in our lives, placing us in spots we don’t have the depth or character to be in, which typically doesn’t end well.  This is a trap that we can be pulled into easily by this world, almost like a gravitational pull, because everyone around us is doing it, but when we do, we make a hard life harder. There is momentum like a heavy current pushing against us, doing its best to pull us in, and when it does, it steals joy, peace, love, and so much more.

We are talking about the dangers and pain that come when we fall into the trap of self-promotion. 

We live in a digital age that has only made this more challenging.  We face unique pressure to project ourselves to the world.  Social media platforms tempt us to be seen and recognized. So often, Instagram, Facebook, and all those social media platforms that can be a nice way to connect and keep in touch with friends and loved ones can lead us into this trap, becoming an area to promote, compete, and put out the best versions of ourselves we can.  It’s like that world has taught us that who we are on the inside doesn’t matter as much as what we look like on the outside…which is a dangerous mindset that is literally opposite of God’s desire and design and what He values in and for us.  Social media is just one way we do this.  We put an image of ourselves out there to the world that we want people to see, but that image may not match the person we truly are. We promote ourselves one way while maybe living another.  We see this with Christians, with life, with parenting, and on and on it goes, and quite frankly, for so many people, the danger is that, for the most part, we can be ok with looking good, even if we aren’t good.  We then look around at others through this lens we look at ourselves through. We compare, compete, and want to make sure we look better than they do…and then assume they have those same motivations we do, and it takes us further and further into this trap of self-promotion, which only makes our hard lives harder.

We have this thing in us to be seen, recognized, liked, valued, and accepted.  The problem is that this world and the culture we so desperately seek approval from doesn’t value things that God values. The things God values and finds important are things humans don’t seem to care about at all.  We just don’t pay attention to or get impressed by those types of things.  So what do we do?  We set out to be seen, recognized, and accepted in a value system that is opposite of God’s. It pulls us away from the very things God places in us so that we can experience our best lives possible.  When we fall into this trap of self-promotion, pulling away from God to look good in this world, we make a hard life harder.

In so many ways, what the world and people of this world value and care about is set, and you either bend to it or stand up to it and move toward God.  It’s like people all around you have made the decision for you.  You will get on our page, or you won’t feel accepted…which is challenging because we all want to be accepted.  This this trap is like a heavy current pushing and tempting us to fall into it…because the world has set its ways, and it isn’t budging…but falling into this one can destroy your life and keep you from experiencing your best life. When I saw this topic, it made me think about the world we live in today, and it made me think of a great illustration from Scripture; it’s one of my favorite stories in Ecclesiastes that truly shows what we humans value, compared to what God values.

Ecclesiastes 13:9 One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice. 14 There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it. 15 There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all.) 16 All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten. MSG

In this story, Solomon is showing us another way he has sat back and watched how the world works and what this world and the people of it value.  So, we see in this story that the MVP of this town is this wise man who saved the city from death and destruction through his wisdom, but the problem was what?  He was a poor man of no consequence to anyone…and no one thought to thank or even remember him.  There is no statue in the town square to memorialize him for all he did…no one even knows his name. Why was he overlooked?  Solomon shows it to us.  He didn’t fit into what this world values.  He wasn’t impressive to people.  Solomon makes sure we know this man was poor…he wasn’t wealthy…so he doesn’t impress anyone.  No title, no rank or status. He doesn’t look successful in the ways that matter to us humans.  He probably didn’t have the right car or clothing.  The man saves them all and slides right back into obscurity because he isn’t what we people are attracted to…wealth, title, flash, it just isn’t there, and Solomon concludes that even though wisdom is better than strength or wealth, the wise will be unaccepted and despised if they don’t do what the world sees as good and acceptable…they won’t be appreciated for long if they don’t look the part of what people want.  People and this world have spoken; you either fit in or feel left out.

We see this all the time in our world today. We feel this pressure in our churches, ministry lives, with our families, raising children, and individually.  We want to be liked, loved, and accepted.  We want people to know we are good people, too!  If we fall into this trap of self-promotion, we will make a hard life harder.  As I think through this story, I wonder if we place ourselves in the shoes of this anonymous, wise, poor man.  How would you feel?  Would you be okay with no one knowing or appreciating what you have done?  Could you go back to anonymity and being overlooked, secure in the knowledge that you saved the town and did the right thing for the ungrateful people around you?  What must it have been like for this poor but wise man to watch them celebrate and pat each other on the back while he slides back into obscurity?  Was he tempted to make sure everyone knew what He did? Would you be?

This is tough, and the temptation of self-promotion is one of the greatest temptations of our lives today. When we fall into it, we are pulled away from life as God designed, from our unique identity, and from God’s purpose and plan for our lives.  We become fake and shallow and miss out on experiencing our best lives. Self-promotion is sneaky and challenging to see and it may be the most devastating way to make a hard life harder.

We see this a lot in ministry life, especially in a world today where there are a lot of churches and leaders doing their best to reach people for God. If we aren’t careful, this can lead to depersonalizing everyone and turning every other ministry into a rival. We wouldn’t say we compare and compete because we know that is not something a Christian should do, but we must search our hearts here and ask ourselves if we are sliding into this trap and feeling a need to promote as we see others promoting.  This happens often between churches and ministries.  It’s awesome and life-giving to see Christians celebrate, love, and be generous with each other…but that tends to be rare.  I will give you an example from Scripture so I don’t get in too much trouble picking on what I’m starting to refer to as a “South Central Pa mindset.” And we will turn to a big moment between Jesus and John the Baptist’s disciples.  Before we get into it, think about the human value system compared to God’s again with John the Baptist and Jesus. They were the opposite of culture and what people saw as great, important, or what mattered.  John didn’t dress right.  He didn’t eat right.  He didn’t preach in the right places.  He didn’t have the degree on the wall or the status or title needed to look important, and because of that, the religious leaders struggled with him.  Same with Jesus, who was born in the wrong place, with the wrong parents, and they completely miss who he is!  Why? Because He didn’t hit that value system that we humans have set and demand you fit into…but I digress.  So, this moment takes place before John the Baptist is thrown into prison. He and his ministry continue, and he and Jesus are now both baptizing people in the same area.  Now, picture John’s disciples. They love him and are devoted to him.  They serve him, and they want to see it all go well. They just watched John baptize Jesus not long ago.  Now Jesus is baptizing people, and worse, more and more people are going to Jesus rather than coming to John.

John 3:26 So they went to John and told him, “Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!”27 John answered, “No one can have anything unless God gives it. 28  You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom’s friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important.” GNT

Do you see it?  Ever feel this way about your Spiritual Family or ministry?  It doesn’t have to be about your church. Have you ever felt this way?  Like someone is getting ahead of you while you are also doing good things, too?  There is tension in it for sure, isn’t there?  And what does John tell his disciples?  This is so powerful.  He says that this is how his happiness is made complete…by becoming less important so that Jesus can become more important.  Wow!  To get there, we must be so centered and aligned with God’s will…so focused and secure in God’s plan, desires, and love for us.  Can I ask you something: is that what we desire and find happiness in, or do we find ourselves competing and sliding into this trap of self-promotion?   It is sad, but if churches and Christians slide into this trap of self-promotion, it not only takes our joy and contentment, blocking us from experiencing our best lives, but it also destroys the community, weakens the good kingdom work in an area, and pushes away people who need Jesus as they watch this competition unfold around them.

I was very tempted to walk through many of the confrontations between Jesus and the religious leaders because many of them come back to the fact that they crossed this line into self-promotion and elevating themselves rather than decreasing so God can increase.  Jesus drove them crazy because He didn’t fit into their mold, and He kept pointing out that they were so busy promoting themselves and building themselves up that they were not living out the faith and Scriptures they knew so well.  They were into titles and rankings, but Jesus was not. They were into power and wealth and felt confidence and validation from people liking them, and they chased after popularity, but Jesus did not.  Jesus repeatedly pointed out that as great as they looked to the masses, they weren’t living out the very faith they taught about and pointed to. It’s all through Scripture, and while I was tempted to walk us through some of those, I am stuck on the way Jesus and John the Baptist lived their lives…because I mean, it is the goal, right?  We are to be growing to be more like Jesus every day.  Jesus himself told us there was no one else like John…and I’m stuck on something he said as his followers were stressing over his shrinking ministry and what they perceived to be John losing or failing, while the reality is he was succeeding.  Remember, success spiritually is so different than how we humans view it. According to God,

Success is doing what God asks (His will) no matter what.

It isn’t about outcomes; it’s about obedience!  John’s numbers and statistics are decreasing; they may even be less than Jesus’ at this point, and his followers are feeling tension; they feel like they are losing and feeling a need to compete, promote, and get back on top.  How did John respond?  Remember this?

John 3:26 “…This is how my own happiness is made complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important.” GNT

“We are called to where God has placed us, and we need to be faithful to that rather than always wanting to be somewhere else doing something else, typically something more exciting, popular, and with more people involved.” Pete Scazzero

So, let’s talk about how to get to the place where we find John The Baptist. Because there is peace and contentment there that we all want and need in our lives. It’s tough because this world and the people of it aren’t bending to you.  They are trying to get you to bend to them!  So, what gives someone like John the Baptist the ability to resist the temptation to slide into comparing, competing, and promoting himself to this world?  He doesn’t seem pulled by the disappointment of his followers and friends at all. And not only that, how do we find this genuine joy and have our happiness made complete in seeing Jesus become more and while we, just like John, slide into the background?  This is such a big deal.  In our class this week, we will dive deeper into this, but for today, let’s look at three ways to break free from this trap of self-promotion.

1st, we must do the hard, honest work of looking in the mirror and examining our hearts and motives.   

We could call this the hard work of discernment and self-examination.  This is hard work for so many of us because it isn’t something that comes naturally to us; it’s something that we must work on.  It’s interesting because it also leads us to discuss something many modern-day Christians overlook and maybe even try to blur the lines of or find tension in.  It can make us a little nervous these days to discuss this in church…but it was (and still is) an important way the early church measured their faith life and success.  Do you know what it is?  That is holiness.  Years ago, this was the way to measure your faith, which has gotten away from us a bit over the years.  The early church often spoke about sin and holiness and even organized the concept of “The Seven Deadly Sins,” found throughout Scripture.  The early Christians used that list as a way to look at themselves and be honest about where they were at; it helped them reflect and discern areas they were struggling with and areas that needed growth.  We don’t always like discussing holiness and sin these days, which may be part of the problem.  We know that we all sin…yet somehow, the concept of holiness isn’t something we want to dive into, but this is a good way to help us grow.  As I write this, I keep thinking we find such relief from this verse…

Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. NLT

Yet so much tension from scriptures like this…

1 Peter 1:15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” NLT

It is so interesting because we read that first one and are relieved. We read Peter’s words there, and it can really stress us out, but maybe it’s bigger than rule-following perfectionism…I mean, Peter himself has many well-documented mistakes and issues along the way, but we are to be pursuing holiness.  The early church was much more open about this, and they organized a list of these deadly sins… they would be honest and self-examine it, and maybe we still should today.  Let’s look at the list for a moment.

  • Pride –Am I stepping over the line and looking for glory for myself instead of God?
  • Glutiny – Am I discontent with what God has given me?
  • Wrath – Am I easily irritated?  Do I lose it quickly?
  • Envy – Am I unhappy when others succeed?
  • Greed – This isn’t just about money but do I need it all for me?
  • Sloth – Do I run away from the hard things in life, always wanting easy street?
  • Coveting – Do I compare, compete, and want what others have?

I know we don’t often like talking about sin and holiness, but this is such a big deal that we do the hard and honest work of looking in the mirror and reflecting on our hearts and motives.

The second way to avoid this trap of self-promotion is to keep developing and growing in a deep, personal, and loving relationship with God.  

Listen, the fastest way to turn the volume down on this noisy world and to avoid the challenging temptations and pulls of this world is to pour into your relationship with God. The more time you spend with Him, the more what matters to Him will matter to you, and the less the things that don’t matter to Him will matter to you.  We must never stop growing and pursuing this area of our lives.  So, ask yourself this question, and answer it honestly.  What are you doing to grow in your following of Jesus?  Are you aligning and connecting with Your Heavenly Father?  Doing this will lead you to the last thing we need to do to avoid this trap of self-promotion.

Lastly, we must find and discover our God-given purpose in life and then go for it!  

Listen, you have a unique, unrepeatable purpose for your life that God has given and designed for you.  You matter.  This world has a way of pulling us off that, which is not an accident.  Our job is to seek that, not people, not to compete or compare, and not slide into this need to push our way out in front or appear important and successful to others but to understand it’s all about God and what He is up to, and to get to the place where like John the Baptist we are so in line and in step with God’s desires for our lives that our happiness is made complete by simply doing and living out our Heavenly Father’s will for our lives.

So, as we close here today, I want you to think about the trap of self-promotion.  I’m not telling you never to post on social media or share the good things in your life, but we need to see what can happen when we cross the line into self-promotion. It’s a tough one because this world and the people of it have spoken, and they aren’t going to bend to you; they want to pull you into the trap.  We can feel so much pressure as the world demands we fit into its values and ways of viewing success and what matters.

So, think this through today.  Would you rather look Christian or be Christian?  What matters more to you?  What God think and feels about you, or what others think and feel about you?  How do you define success?  Do you see success as living out your purpose and doing God’s will no matter what? Or do you see it more the way the world values it, popularity, power, titles, wealth, and bigger stats?  Can you find joy, contentment, and genuine happiness in Jesus increasing in importance while you decrease?  It’s tough.  Who will know our greatness if we humbly live the life God leads us to live?  Is it ok if no one does?  How will people feel about us?  Maybe the best question is why that matters so much to us.

I want to leave you with one thought today if you struggle with this competition and comparing thing and feel pulled into the trap of self-promotion.  Imagine what your life would look and feel like if the only thing that mattered was God’s will and desire for your life.  How freeing and peaceful would your life be if your heart and mind were so focused on who He is and how He views you, and doing the things that please Him that it didn’t matter to you what this world and the people of it thought or felt about it or you.  Imagine what that would be like.  Imagine how relaxing, freeing, and joyous that could be.