Purpose Over Popularity

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. So as I said, we're starting a new sermon series today, and I'm excited about this one. It is called, I Choose. And over the next five weeks, we are going to do four different choices that we are making, okay? And why it's five weeks, as Phil had mentioned earlier in the service, it's sad to say, but we are going to break halfway through on January 28th and have a special service and celebration and where Phil himself will actually be preaching the message, a farewell message, and then afterwards have a, we're going to call it an appreciation banquet. You might call it a roast, whatever you want to say. Open mic. No, please bring gifts and cards and yourselves, of course, and your stories. And we're going to do a lot of laughing and crying and celebrating and just realizing God is working through all of this and working through us, and we want to really bless them as they move into a new chapter in their lives, okay? So please be doing that. But today we're starting a new sermon series, and it's going to cover four different choices. But first, I want to talk to you about next week, okay? The choice that we're going to do next week. And that is, if you're honest, how many of you, raise your hand if you're honest about this. How many of you would say that you're a little bit of a control freak? Just raise your hand. Actually, raise the hand of the person next to you because that's what you really want to do. I know. I know. And so next week we're going to actually be speaking about the choice of surrender versus control. Doesn't that sound good? So you, as the control freak you are, might want to get here early to get just the right spot and the right seat here so that you are ready for that message. in the way that you want to be. But this week we're going to be looking at a different choice. And that is purpose over popularity, as that video shared. And we're going to look at a Bible passage to start with. Kind of the basis of our springboard for this message in Galatians chapter 1 verse 6 through 10. This is where Paul was writing to a church that was just kind of a mess, okay? And Paul said this, Not that there is another one, but that there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ, but even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. And here's kind of a section we're really focusing in on. For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Okay? Hey, you could close your eyes for a moment. Don't go to sleep, but close your eyes and imagine with me. Imagine with me for a moment, something. Are you ready for this? Okay, kind of go with me. Imagine that you, you are liked by everybody. Every time you put something on Facebook, all you get is likes and loves and happy responses and everybody's positive about it. You go to work and your coworkers love you and like you and appreciate you and encourage you every day you go. Your boss is amazed at you. You go in your neighborhood. Every neighbor likes you being their neighbor. Everybody approves of you and likes you. Imagine that anywhere you are. Now open your eyes. Reality check. That will never happen. Right? That will never happen. Completely impossible. No matter what you can do, you will not be pleasing to everyone. It just doesn't happen. Now, imagine something. I believe that can happen. Okay? Imagine as you wake up in bed every single day. There's this joy and this peace and this passion and this purpose. And you just can't wait for the rest of the day. And even before you get out of bed, you know that God is tickled pink with you. He is pleased with you. He is thrilled with you. Even before you do anything. And you get out of bed and you know the rest of your day is aligned in terms of doing the purposes for which you were created and made. That is not an impossibility. I believe that is actually what God wants for each one of us. That we are so filled with his purposes, his passion, his direction, his words, his gospel. That even what other people say and think and do doesn't impact us so deeply and devastate us at all. But we can just keep moving on and being a part of what he is doing. And so that is the choice that we are actually making today. And I want you to say it together with me. I choose. Can you say that? I choose. I choose purpose over popularity. Say that. I choose purpose over popularity. Now, we often choose the opposi...