Freedom River Church Sunday Message 12/2/18
Channel: Freedom River Church
Date: 03/12/2018

Being Alright in an Uptight World                     Numbers 14:39-45

Who says you can’t have it all? That’s the question of our generation, isn’t it? Would it surprise you to learn that this is not a new notion? No, it’s been around for millennia. Israel asked this question as they stood at the precipice of new beginnings in a land God promised them. They had refused to go and occupy the land; and, after a day and night of unceasing drama, tensions brought them to impulsively move to force the issue of their poor previous decision. Being uptight will do that to you! Can you be alright in an
uptight world? Yes, but some attitude adjustment is going to be necessary. You knew that, didn’t you?

I. Why are we so uptight?
To put it bluntly, we’re a generation of over-expectors. We’re just like the nation of Israel here in this passage. They thought they were just going to walk out of Egypt with no problems and walk into the Promised Land with God taking care of everything like some cosmic concierge. We consider them and conclude that they
were foolish to think that way. Sure they were! Here’s a better question. How did we get that way? We live in a very affluent nation with wealth and commercialism driving us. We’ve been fed a steady diet of happy endings wrapped in neat little packages by entertainment sources for decades. Currently, we’re amusing ourselves with the most outlandish behaviors, rewarding alley cat
morality with boat loads of fame and fortune. Everyone is trying to please us for profit. Who says you can’t have it all — Reality does. But we’re still trying, and we’re ALL uptight about it.

II. How to be alright in an uptight world.

A. You must have a ___________________ concept about life.
Here in Numbers 14, Israel had rebelled against God. God wanted to give them a land that flowed with milk and honey, and they said, “No, Sir. We want you to give us what we want LIKE we want it!” Because of that, they had to live with the consequences that came due on the choices they made. That is such an elementary principle, isn’t it? Then why do so many of us never grasp it? You
must live with the choices you make. Wake up, Cinderella; life is not a fairy tale. Who says you can’t have it all — Common sense does.

B. You must develop a sense of __________________________.
1. ____________________________ doesn’t equal accomplishment.
Some folks think the busier they are, the more they accomplish. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Fight the feeling to believe the way to a happier, more productive life is to fill it with activity.

2. ____________________________ doesn’t equal accomplishment.
We live to buy. They just can’t come out with enough gadgets to satisfy us. We spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t know. That’s a tragedy!

3. _____________________________ equals accomplishment.
This is what Jesus taught us in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)

C. You must cultivate __________________________to what really counts. What is it in life that really counts? A hundred years from now, what will still be with you? You can have billions of dollars like Howard Hughes or a Rolls Royce automobile like J. Paul Getty, a big mansion like Elvis Presley or a multimillion dollar wardrobe like Liberace. But, you know what? They’re ALL gone, and it’s still here. When it’s all said and done, all that really counts is your faith.

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