"A Gentle Whisper"

1 Kings 19:9-12

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Series: Success To Significance

Introduction: Today we are starting a series from a book that is an autobiography about a man named Bob Buford. But what is interesting about this book is not so much that it is about his life, but about the important aspects of life that he learned, and desires to pass on to others. The book is called “Half Time: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance.” This autobiography is a book that leads us to a better understanding of how we can, and need to, make decisions that are not selfish in nature, but that bring honor to God.

I have mentioned our Focused Living program many times. And it is interesting to see how I have come across the ideas of this program (about discovering our passion and using our passion to find the vision God has for our lives), in so many different ways. This book is another example of this. At a young age, Bob Buford thought through what his strengths were, and said to himself: “It is my duty and mission to put to work what I am good at, rather than to do what I would love to do.” This is the essence of what it means to live a focused life for God.

Before I get into the meat of the message, let me say one more thing. The subtitle of the book is “From Success to Significance.” But let me clarify this. Management Expert Peter Drucker says that, “Success does not necessarily mean a substantial fortune or even great worldly success. But it does mean something that those in earlier times simply did not know; achievement……”…..So, in this series we are going to talk about what we need to attain to have our lives been significant.

I. Multiplying- (Matthew 13:3-9)

a. Our Epitaph- None of us knows when we will die. But any one of

us, if we wish, can select the epitaph that we want put on our gravestone of how we want others to remember us. If you were to choose what your epitaph would say, what would you choose? Maybe you would want “A loving mother,” or “One who cared about others.” There are an unlimited amount of choices. The point is, you want it to say something that will tell about who you were while you lived on this earth.

Bob Buford says that the epitaph he wants is……100X. Now what does 100X mean? It means 100 times, and it is taken from the parable of the sower in Matthew, chapter 13. Just in case you aren’t familiar with this parable, let me read it for you.

Matthew 13:3-9, “Then Jesus told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear.” So the 100X is in reference to being “good soil” and multiplying his life a hundred fold. Bob Buford wants to be remembered as the seed that was planted in good soil and multiplied a hundred fold.

You might think it strange to think about your epitaph, but Saint Augustine said that asking yourself the question of your own legacy— (What do I wish to be remembered for?) —is the beginning of adulthood. In thinking about our epitaph we identify ourselves as someone with a purpose and a passion. Bob Buford wants to multiply all that God has given him, and, in the process, give it back. This is a unique vision for many in our world. The tendency for most people is to take what they have, and to use it for themselves.

b. Using what you have- Buford goes on to acknowledge that he has

had many fortunate opportunities. His is not a rag to riches story, or a self-made man story. He acknowledges that he has been given far more opportunities for growth, personal development, and financial reward than most Americans. But the point he wants to make, is not that he has more than others, but what will we do with what we have been given?

Buford says: “During the first half of your life, if you are like me, you probably did not have time to think about how you would spend the rest of your life…Then the reality comes: the clock is running. What once looked like an eternity ahead of you is now within reach….If the first half was a quest for success, the second half is a journey for significance.” Now I would add to this, that whatever age you are, you shouldn’t think about first half/second half, but rather, you should think of being significant with whatever you have available.

The reason it isn’t about first half and second half, is because when Jesus talks about planting a seed, it doesn’t have anything to do with age. The parable of the sower is about recognizing that we have been given many things from God, and receiving what we have been given, and then allowing that to become fruitful in our lives. To be significant in this way means that we don’t allow the worries of the world to make us depressed or anxious; it means that we don’t allow ourselves to be selfish, causing us to be shallow; it means that we don’t let the heartache of life cause us to be bitter and hard and choke off God from working in our lives.

So let us dare to believe that we can achieve great things with our lives, and that ultimately we can have a great impact on this world.

II. Destiny- (1 Kings 19:9-12)

a. Life as a baseball diamond- Vaclav Havel said, “The real test of a

man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.” The challenge in life is figuring out how to reconcile all the aspects of one’s life: work, family relationships, friends, and faith. You might know what you believe, but do you know how to incorporate what you believe into your life? What will you do with what you believe? God has a destiny for you, but this destiny requires that you utilize your faith in all aspects of your life. This is how Jesus could talk about how he came so that His followers might have abundant life.

Bob Buford gives us a list of some important questions: Am I listening for the still, small voice? Is my work still the center of my life and identity? Do I have an eternal perspective as a prism through which I view my life? What do I want to be remembered for? Is my life packed with significance?

So, if you think of life as a baseball diamond, First Base is the commitment to faith and believing what Jesus says is true; Second Base is the shift from being a ‘hearer of the word’ to being a ‘doer of the word’: it is growing in spiritual maturity that shows itself in a loving behavior; Third Base is the commitment to living out the Christian faith in Ministry. This is about doing concrete work, either in a church or a parachurch setting; Home base is the commitment to God’s mission in the world. It is being a Kingdom builder by finding the specifically designed mission that God has for us. George Gallup Jr. talks about how 84% of Americans declare themselves to be Christians. The problem is that most are stuck between first and second base not living out their Christian faith.

b. Listening to the gentle whisper- Many people get stuck in seeking

to develop their faith and learning more about the unique way the Bible approaches life. This is important and needed, but too often they get bogged down in this, and forget that there needs to be more. At some point, they need to realize that they need to “do” something with the faith they have.

In the book The Odyssey, the epic retelling of the life of Odysseus, there are two great forces pulling at Odysseus: work and home. On the one side he enjoys what he feels called to do (the battles he experiences on his journey home after the fall of Troy), but on the other side he yearns to return home. We too are pulled between the desire to be with those close to us (family and friends; and living the comfortable life), and the adventure that life has for us.

How are we to resolve this dilemma? By listening to the small still voice. Listen again to our Bible reading from 1 Kings 19:9-12, “There Elijah went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ¹⁰ He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." ¹¹ The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

Being significant with our lives means living beyond the immediate. It involves investing our gifts in service to others. It means continuing on, even when life is difficult and scary. To do this we have to listen to God to get the bigger picture: both of who we are, and what God wants us to do.

George Bernard Shaw once described it this way: “This is the true joy in life—the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die…” Until we get past thinking that our lives are just for us, we can never hope to hear God’s whispering to us the significant life God has for us to live.

III. Reverse Conversion- (Psalm 37:4)

a. Reverse Conversion- Some people know the exact moment of their

conversion; of that time when they accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Do you? I don’t remember the exact moment, but I do remember that it was in January, 1977. I had gotten one of these little personal Bibles in my locker. It has an assortment of verses about comfort, assurance, and salvation. At the end of the little booklet is a prayer to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I remember kneeling down by my bed, praying the prayer, and the signing my name to it!

But many of you might not have had this kind of an experience. Maybe you didn’t have an earth shattering conversion. Maybe yours was a gentle flow of growing up believing, and slowly and steadily growing in your faith and commitment. Bob Buford didn’t achieve a state of trust and blissful assurance on his own. He didn’t seek the Lord. He didn’t have an emotional turning point in his spiritual development. His father died when he was in the fifth grade. His mom was left a widow with 3 small boys.

Watching his mother take up the challenge and become a successful media business executive created in him an excitement and tension. This was a tug-of-war between living a life of success in business and leading a life of service in ministry. But for Bob Buford, there came a day in the ninth grade that he knew he wouldn’t be preaching or baptizing, but making money as a TV executive…which he did successfully for many years.

It took him many years until he recognized that there are other games to be played on many fields. It began to sink into his heart—and seep into the space where his decisions were being made—that he was doing great things in business, and little else. But then he got to a place where he thought about what he would do with what he believed; a “reverse conversion experience” if you will.

b. Searching and Self Help- Bob Buford was in the television

business from 1954 to 1986 expanding the family business from a single TV station in Tyler, Texas, to an array of cable television systems in several parts of the country. Buford Television, Inc., grew at a rate of 25 percent annually.

He got to the place where he believed that he could shape his life by his dreams and the desires of his heart (contrary to what Psalm 37:4 says: “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart”). But then a question kept tugging at his mind: “What might I lose with all this gaining?” And so he decided to set 6 goals for his life: 1) To grow the business 10% a year;

2) To have a vital marriage; 3) To serve God by serving others; 4) To build self-esteem in his son, Ross; 5) To grow culturally and intellectually; and 6) To figure out what to do with all the money he was making.

With these goals, he started to bring some balance to his life. The last 5 goals he felt defined what was important to him. They answered the question “What would I lose with all this gaining?” He wanted to make sure he understood the importance of his wife, son, faith, and service. He didn’t want the drive for money, power and achievement to overshadow what was really important.

He didn’t feel this list was an exhaustive list of goals, but a list that kept him searching for what was significant in life. He felt this list was enough to get him into the search to find the core commitments and passions that could help him make sense of who God had made him to be. He was realizing that there was a more important second half of his life; a second half of his faith.

Conclusion: Think for a moment about your life. Would you say you are a giving person? Would you say that your life is one that multiplies what God has given you? Do you let the worries and frustrations and hardships of life overwhelm you? We need to understand that God has a destiny for our lives. And when we don’t seek to multiply ourselves through our faithful efforts to God, we are giving in to these worries, frustrations, hardships, and selfish behavior. We need to understand that our lives are to be lived out for more than just ourselves; even more than our family, but for the Kingdom of God. We need to understand that God doesn’t force us to do anything, and He doesn’t even shout out His plan. God whispers it to us, and so we need to regularly stop and listen!

I encourage you to take some time this week to review the outline, and answer these questions. Also, take some time and seek God’s gentle whisper. Make sure that you are trying to not do it on your own, but that you are using all that God has given you to have a significant life, this day and always. Amen.