← The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson
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- [00:01]
Joby Martin
Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight.
- [00:18]
Kyle Thompson
Let's sharpen up the first few verses of Psalm 23. Once again. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness again. I think one of the reasons Americans love this 23rd Psalm so much is because if you read it to this point, it sounds like, wow, he's really into me. Look at all the things that he does for me, that maybe if I just do what he says and I'll get hooked up. Maybe if I just kind of wink and acknowledge that he's the shepherd, then I get all the things that I want. Wow, he's really into me. Now, let me just say this. God is for you. It just ain't about you. And the moment you realize that, your whole world will be freed up. Why does God do all this? Why is he our shepherd? Why does he make me lay down in green pastures? Why does he leave me beside still waters? Why does he restore my soul? Why does he lead me in paths of righteousness? Because I'm awesome. No, no, no, no, no. It says right here, for his name, sa God is for you. Anybody that dies for you is for you. And the Bible says that God demonstrated his love for us in this. That while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us. That's Romans 5, 8. And God loves you, and he's for you. It's just not all about you. Everything is all about the glory of God. And the reason that you exist is for the glory of God. And the reason that he would humble himself and become our shepherd is for the glory of God. And the reason that he speaks direction into us, that always leads to life and life abundantly, is for the glory of God. Because when you think you are the center of the universe, you are going to live a purposeless, meaningless, miserable life. Because if all you do is follow yourself and serve yourself and exalt yourself at the end of your life, all you're going to have is yourself. Listen, we all have a propensity to make ourselves to be the most important character in the movie and try to treat other people as extras in the epic movie of our life. And we know people like that, and we know some Miserable people like that, that they have everything this world has to offer, but because they think they're the point, they cannot handle the weight that they put on themselves. You see, I hope and pray that you will have this like Copernicus moment. Copernicus was the one that first said publicly that the whole universe does not revolve around the Earth, but that the Earth is a part of a universe and a part of this solar system that revolves around the sun. You see, you and I were created by God, for God, unto the glory of God. And the moment you can begin to realize, first and foremost, bro, this is not all about me, then you'll actually be free to enjoy this thing called life. Because if you're always trying to manage the circumstances for them to work out for you, you're going to be in a miserable place because you're not in control of the circumstances. The moment you take the keys to your joy and happiness and you hand them out to all the other people in your life, to your kids, to your wife, to your friends, to your boss, to your buddies, and you begin to say to those people, when all of you every time do the right things, as I would consider them right, then and only then will I be fully and finally satisfied. That's why you're going to live a miserable existence. But do you know how free it is to say that the reason all of this happens in my life, the reason every circumstance that I find in my life, some I like, some I don't like, all of this happens for one reason. For his name's sake. In order for you to understand that, you must understand what Christ has done for you at the cross. To the glory and exaltation of God Almighty Christ gave himself at the cross. And for whoever would believe we would receive the right to become children of God, and then we get caught up in that Christ exalted, exalting glory to God, it ain't about me, but it's for his name sake and everything changes. You see, I think this is what the Apostle Paul meant in Philippians when he said, to live is Christ and to die is gain. That's the most free brother who has ever lived. Can you imagine that kind of freedom? If you realize that every single day that you have been given on this planet to accomplish the assignment that he has given you is unto the glory of God. So if that's raising kids to the glory of God, if that's selling insurance, that's to the glory of God. If that's being a full time missionary, that's for his namesake and not my namesake. Do you know how free you are if that's you to live as Christ and in doing so, if it kills you, if you get arrested and you get your head chopped off because you live for Christ? Well good news. To die is gain. And for all of eternity we would be in that place where there are no tears, where there is nothing but joy. Why? Because all we're going to do is make much of his name in work and in worship and in everything we do. So if you have a tendency to make it all about you, repent. Tell God you're sorry and help. Say God would you help me remember that all of this is not to me but all of this is for your name sake. Amen.
- [05:42]
Joby Martin
Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help, equip other men for the fight. Share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.