This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

and just be chaos calls, but all you. Need is to just bring. breathe Just Breathe We are gonna take a challenging Journey again this weekend in our upside down.

Series, let me just tell you this. Okay, upside down is a dumb way to live. I know. Because I have lived portions of my life. upside down and it makes everything. a bummer upside down. Where's you down? It wears your family down. It wears your joy down. You're not your best just do and say stupid things and in the end when you live upside down whether it's a an insatiable desire for stuff and and you you consume over consume like Pastor Jesse talked two weeks ago.

Or it's upside down financially when you overspend that Pastor chip talked about just last week. And by the way to me one of chips best truths from last week was this To continue to live upside down financially. With all of the resources and and all of the helps and all of the people who are willing to help.

Is born out of Pride ignorance or shame and then he said which is it for you as you pass on your mess to your kids out. I'm not actually sure. He said that that's what I would have said. So this week here's what we're gonna do upside down with our time and parties we're talking about what this over schedule is. Okay, and all of us all of us understand this one.

It's a problem of over schedule. It leads to this it leads to hurry. Which always leaves hurt? busyness, which always leaves opportunities on the table and always moving means always missing something and usually the most important things not only that spend much time on on creating the problem right when we when we frantically keep going and we move it run around like a chicken with our head cut off and we believe that busy, but somehow equal important.

It's a mess. It's upside down. And it's it's going to wreak havoc and cause problems not just for you. But for everyone around you, okay. So upside down over schedule. Let's walk into it together. All right. So here's a one start. I want to start at John 17. Okay, John 17. So listen, here's how you get there. If you have your Bible pull it out. Now if you're there if you're if you're if you're in a campus right now you you can just come around the chairs around you use your phone if you're at home, pull your Bible out. Okay, but I think it's really important that we we open the word ourself whether it's whether it's whether it's digitally or whether it's whether it's analog. Okay, so go to John 17 John's easy to find the first four gospels or Matthew Mark Luke and John. Okay, so go to John and go to John 17 now why you're getting there? Let me just give a quick recap because what I'm gonna read to you, it's a flyover first that's just kind of sitting there that is packed with so much. Okay, so I don't want to reach on 17 quite yet. Just just page back or or screen back to to John 13. Okay, so this is John.

13 all the way to the end of John which by the way is not John 24, which I made up a couple weeks ago. Okay, John ends at 21. All right. So so John 13 starts with this where Jesus is washing his disciples feet. So that's the last supper. Okay. So it's it's the Last Supper John 13. Jesus got him up in there. He predicts his betrayal right Peters. Denial is in John 13, and then in John 14 We Begin this this teaching of Jesus.

This this between the Last Supper. And when he gets arrested because if you look ahead to John 18, that's that's when he gets gets arrested. Okay. So so John 14 is is he's teaching and he teaches about the John 14:6 is criminals like Crucible verses of the Bible, right a Tipping Point where he says I am the way and the truth and the life and no one gets the father through me then he does all this teaching 14 15 16 to 17. So longest teaching put together that we have of Jesus. Okay, and he talks about the Holy Spirit and a lot of it Divine the branches how the World's Gonna Hate to disciples you get to 16 and and he the work of the Holy Spirit. Okay, so it's just this beautiful. I just encourage you if you're just kind of going I'm not sure where to read.

Start John 14, 15 16 and 17. You just get this extended teaching of Jesus kind of the last words before he's arrested kind of his last like here's what I want to really focus. I don't want you to miss this. But we get to John 17 and John 17 is just awesome. And here's why.

Because it's Jesus praying. And he starts like this. He's he's praying for himself and he prays for the disciples. Then you get unto verse 20 and he prays for all the Believers of all time, which is you and me and you read that and this is Jesus praying for you and me. Okay, if you're a Believer Jesus, all right, but I want you to see this one verse in John 17. It's a flyover.

So it says this after this after Jesus said this he looked toward heaven and prayed. father The time has come. Glorify your son that your son may glorify you. So he's talking about going to the Cross right? He's talking about the resurrection.

For you granted him Authority talk about himself. Will you give him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him Now this is eternal life. This is just so this is Jesus praying. That they may know you.

The only true God and Jesus Christ whom you've sent. And I want you to check out verse 4 now. Just look at this. I have brought you glory on Earth. by completing the work You gave me to do right and okay, so that's fly over there's so much great. There's so many things in this in these chapters. But here's this one Little Flower person. Look what it says. I brought you glory on Earth.

By completing the work you gave me to do wait a minute. There's lots of undone things. First of all, he's not to the Cross yet. It's not done. It's not it is finished yet. But Jesus praying to the father says I've completed everything you gave me to do.

There's all kinds of people I've been healed yet, but he he got done but there's there's people that aren't fixed yet. There's there's still broken stuff and and but Jesus says I've completed everything. I came here to do. I've completed all.

And there's a secret right or a key there must be some deeper part to this. It can't just be like if if we're gonna live our lives this way, right? It just can't be right. I can't be just I need to if I'm gonna be like, she's like, I can't schedule my time better or get another calendar app or just or just fix my schedule.

Those things are helpful, and they're an outcome. But there's something more when it comes to over schedule that needs to be first. and sets the foundation of what life needs to look like here's the deal.

You and me you can't do it all. But you can be all that you were created to be. Because certainly there's undone things in jesus' life. And there's always going to be things to do.

Here's the principle. You and me. We can't do it all as hard as we try, but we can be all that we were created. to be you can find the pace to life.

that leaves peace in its wake So Jesus, right if Jesus of all people like that that had the weight of the world on him that had every single person wanting a piece of him. If Jesus of all people could say I have completed the work that you gave me to do. There's something more going on and here's what that is. Jesus made some decisions.

and these are decisions that you and me we we need to make so we can get right side up. In this world and not live this frantic over scheduled life. That hurts not only us.

But everybody around us, so three decisions. Here's the first one. Okay, the first one is this Decide who I am. Embrace my identity. Okay. So so this is going down to core parts of who we are. This is a biggie this the identity issue has has set lives free and and and set lives on a path to destruction right this identity thing. It's it's huge.

The way we picture ourselves and what we place our identity in. Is absolutely crucial when it comes to this topic in particular. So all of us Matthew 3 is where I want us to go. Okay. So so again, I want you to turn to what I want you to go with me Matthew 3 so, it's Matthew Mark Luke John Matthew is the the first of the gospels. Okay. So so it in Matthew 3, we've got this this this this beautiful picture of the beginning of jesus' ministry, okay?

So the birth narrative is one and two and that's awesome. But you get to three and it's about John the Baptist and what John the Baptist is doing. Okay, then you get to 13 of John John three or Matthew 3:13 and Jesus gets baptized and and then you get to the chapter four and there's the temptation of Jesus right? So then that's kind of when it when he when he goes out publicly and this is kind of it. Okay.

But here's Matthew 3. And and at his baptism, I want you to see what happens here. So here's what it says in 13. It says then Jesus Came From Galilee to the Jordan who baptized by John. But John tries to deter him saying hi. I need to be baptized by you. And and do you come to me and Jesus replied? Let it be so now.

It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. And then John consented. And as soon as Jesus was baptized he went up out of the water and at that moment heaven was opened and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and Lighting on him and a voice from Heaven said and catch this okay.

This is my son. whom I love with him I am well pleased. He catch that. Jesus is the long way three years actually.

to his faithful obedience on the cross So before Jesus does I mean he spent 30 years sinlessly, so it's not a discount obviously, but but before he before he walks into the ministry and starts to put his face to Jerusalem, right and for three years develops his disciples and three years Begins the the way the World's Gonna Be Different forever, right?

Before he really does. anything here's what the father says about him. He's my son and I love him. And I am well pleased. With him God's pleasure.

In Jesus the father's pleasure in his son Jesus. Wasn't based on anything. He did or does. It's just who he is. It's his son. I want you to see this and it goes It goes even a little bit farther than this in in your Bible.

You're in Matthew 3 Now flip over to to Matthew 17. Okay, so Matthew 17, we have another picture. That's a store and this is where What's called the commonly known as the Transfiguration, right? So this is this is getting towards the end of the ministry, right? And and and here's what it says in in 17.

He says after six days Jesus Took with him Peter James and John the brother of James and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And there he was transfigured before them his face Shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light just then there appeared before the Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus, right? So just put yourself you're you're Peter James and John and Jesus all the sudden he starts to transfigurity. He turns white like the like lightning and Moses and Elijah are with him talking with him. And Peter said that Jesus lord it's good for us to be here. If you wish I'll put up three shelters one for you one for Moses and one for Elijah.

And while he was still speaking. a bright Cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said catch it. This is my son. whom I love With him, I am well pleased listen to him.

my friends decide who I am. Embrace my identity means this. if your identity lies and what you do How much you make? How you look where you live if your identity lies in anything other than what God thinks about you.

That could be broken. There are so many of us who who are identity is is set in what we do not not in who's we are. The B the Son of God be the daughter of God has to override anything that we do our identity is not in what we do if you're identity lies and your beauty your beauty will fade. If your identity lies in your success, your success could be taking away in a heartbeat. If you're identity lies and your athletic ability your knee can get blown at any moment.

My friends hear this. Okay here this be overdue. You've got to make this decision. Who's am I? Who? am I Just just for a minute here. I'm gonna okay, I'm gonna go full Pentecostal on you ready? Okay, that's where we go. Let's do it together, right?

The holy spirit is telling me this. That there's somebody out there. In fact there right now. They're listening. And right now they they need to hear this message and hope the holy spirit's giving me a picture of them.

Yep, they're breathing Yep, their heart is beating. They they're sitting down right now Among Us and and they've got a they've got a shirt on the top and they've got pants on. Wait. No unless you're online you don't wear pants, okay.

But you've got shoes on to cover your feet. Listen. Holy Spirit wants to tell you this listen for every single one of us. There's no special prophecy in this one. You need to hear this. Your identity lies in this Jesus thought you were worth dying for.

No matter who you are where you been or what you've done or what's been done to you. God loves you not because you've done anything. You are not the sum of your successes nor are you the sum of your failures? God thought you were worth it.

He created you in your mother's womb. He's numbered your days on this word. He sent Jesus to be your savior. Jesus. Thought you were worth it. And my friends that is your identity.

You are not what you do your identity your value rests in this Jesus. Thought you were worth it. You're a daughter. You're a son of God. You've been adopted you've been redeemed and you've been forgiven.

Hey listen to me When it comes to this over schedule. This frantic living this always going this always busy. It's a symptom of this. I have the need to prove who I am and to earn my cape.

And if people think I'm busy and people think I'm important. And if I can just keep going and keep going and keep going then then that's who I am I get things done. My friends you can get off that train. Your decision is this. Who am I?

and the only answer that's going to be Peace and Freedom to you is this I am a child of God He loves me. Not for anything I've done. But because of what Jesus is sun has done.

Okay, so when it comes to this over schedule, the first decision that we need to make is decide who I am. And we need to embrace that identity. All right, here's decision. Number two. decide who I'm not and embrace my limits, okay.

And this this is this this this feels this the sounds funny, but this is just as important as the first one. We've got to decide who I'm not and embrace my limits you are not Superwoman and you're not Superman. You can't do all and be all.

Some people are so upside down because they think they are God they want to fix everyone everyone needs me and what always cases this is it's more about you than it really is about them. And we just keep going and we keep moving and we keep going and we keep moving it. We keep busy busy busy because we think that means we're really really important.

about friends here this we've got to decide not only who I am. But decide who I'm not. You are not Jesus. And you are not the Holy Spirit.

You have limits and we need to embrace them right built into our our are the fabric of the universe right? Are these are these are these limits we have the limit of time that limits all of us. We've only got a certain amount Psalm 90. He says this teach us to number our days then he says yes 70 years 80 if you're lucky right, but listen to this this is this is a limit for all of us. There's 60 seconds in a minute. There's 60 minutes an hour. There's 24 hours. There's seven days a week There's 5 weeks in a year and that's a limit and Nothing Stops it it's just keeps going. I I don't know.

I I hope we've been talking about emotionally healthy spirituality by peace because they're talking about this for years many many of you have read it and if you have it emotionally healthy spirituality, you've probably got some at your campus. You can get it on online. Just just get it. Okay.

But meant one of the things that he does in here, in fact, it's on page 130 in in this version. He says this it comes under the larger Soul through grief and lost chapter. But he says we need to embrace and he calls it this the gift. of limits The Gift of limits and and he says just just think about this. He says consider the following list of your limits.

Your physical body. This is really encouraging right here your body's dying and well, we're turned to dust one day. You must sleep eat and drink in order to live all the plastic surgeons in the world. Ultimately cannot stop your aging process. We will finish our lives with unfinished goals and dreams. Hey, there you go. Happy day to you.

Your family of origin is a limit. Your family ethnicity country of birth culture all give you a gift and limits whether you had two parents one parent or adopted all of us enter adulthood with limits given to us by our families. He and he goes to your intellectual capacity your talented gifts your material wealthy your time. He just walks down all of this stuff. And he says listen, we have to embrace that we have limits. We can't do it all.

And he says this at the very end. He says we can run around frantically convince the world whether it be our churches friends businesses or children will stop if we stop others of us get depressed because our desires are so high and unachievable that it seems useless to do anything at all.

Getting off our Thrones and joining. The rest of humanity is a must for growing up. A part of us hates limits. We won't accept them. This is part of the reason why grieving lost biblically is such an indispensable part of spiritual maturity. It humbles us like a little else.

and he says in fact one of the great tasks of parenting and Leadership is to help others accept their limits this applies to the home the workplace the community. or the church my friends listen It's crucial that we decide who we are whether we embrace the identity that we have in Jesus because that can never ever be taking away. Your money can go your looks can go your status can go your health can go but Jesus doesn't go.

And on the same side of that we have to say we get to embrace our limits decide who I'm not in Mark 1 right? We have this this picture of Jesus early in his ministry and and they're blowing and going man. People are lining up to get healed and and one morning they wake up with the disciples have lines of people ready to ready to meet Jesus and they're all fired up. Okay, let's get up alphabetical order. What country you're from and we're gonna what disease do you have? What kind of demon you got in you and they're all ready to go, but Jesus isn't there.

And they say go they go looking for him. And it says this very early morning went out to a quiet place to pray. And the disciples come marching in and they said Jesus. What are you doing? We got we got stuff to do. There are people down here. And here's how Jesus responds look at this 38 and 39.

He replied. Let us go somewhere else. To the nearby Villages so I can preach there also, that is why. I have come. Right. He embraced the limits.

He couldn't touch everybody all he just he just couldn't. And here's Jesus himself. I've been to embrace his limits of what he could do in a place and to get done what he was supposed to get done. So we could say I accomplished all things that you called me to father. He had to embrace his limits.

I want to take this just one step farther everybody if you would turn to Philippians 2, okay. I know I'm running all over the Bible here. But but Philippians 2 you acts Romans first second Corinthians, then you get Galatians Ephesians Philippians and Colossians. And Philippians 2 is this it's written by Paul and it's just this cool picture that Paul gives about Jesus.

And and he says this about he says this about Jesus he says in verse 5 of Philippians 2. He said your attitude. Should be the same as that of Christ Jesus now keep this in the Embrace limits picture, okay. Who being in very nature God?

Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness and being found in appearances of man. He humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on the cross there for God exalted him.

But you hear what he says look what he says but made himself nothing right. He emptied himself of of of unlimited potential the unlimited godhead. He he it's called the word is called connoisse in the Greek and it means he emptied himself of those privileges and his rights.

You see Jesus had to make the same decision that you and me need to make when it comes to this frantic over scheduling. When you decide who we're not. We need to embrace. Our limits and there's a third decision. Let's hit it real quick here together, okay.

Beside my priorities. Embrace the order. Of those priorities, okay. Decide my priorities. And embrace the order. of those priorities All right. Let's just stick. Let's just stick in the Bible together here. Okay, and and I want us to turn back to Matthew again. We were just in there. So, it's Matthew Mark Luke John I go to Matthew 22.

Matthew 22, there's just this we go here a lot because the There's some times in scripture right when when everything kind of gets distilled down. It's like a funnel, right? So so the earlier John 14 when Jesus says I am the way and the truth and life. No one gets the father but through me right it's just this funnel all this teaching and truth, but he funnels it down at this.

Here's a truth. Well, John 22 is another one of those it's it's called the Great commandment and we hit this one a lot because it's so crucial. So this is this is in Jesus ministry. He's teaching and and here's what it says in verse 34 set it up with this. It says hearing that Jesus had silenced the sad you sees that was a religious group Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees another group of Jewish religious people they got together and they were they didn't like each other but they got together, you know Common enemy.

One of them an expert law tested him with this question teacher. Which is the greatest commandment Lana they had 600 and 613 or that they had to follow right and they were these guys were this is what they did and they were the ones who pointed out you didn't do that, right or you didn't do that or you didn't do that. There's like 600 not just the ten. We can't even keep the ten. Right but there's 613 laws that they they they're supposed to keep.

And they thought they trapped him, right? And here's what Jesus replies. to the trick question He says love the Lord your God with all of your heart. And with all of your soul with all of your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.

and the second Is like it? Love your neighbor. as yourself and he says all the law in the prophets. Hang on to these two. Commandments I want you just to just to sit in this with me just Just for a minute, okay.

when you embrace the order Love God. Love others. I love myself. And if you embrace the order. The priorities that Jesus says here's here's what comes first.

Then you submit to to what God wants you to do with your days and your weeks and your months and your years. It's it's not a calendar. Deeper than that. It's embracing not only who I am but who I'm not and it's embracing the priority.

That Jesus says this is the order. And when you get this one, right? And you keep this one in mind everything else flows through life. everything else does everything does You see here's here's here's Jesus and they see he boils it down. He says this is the order.

and this is this is I get this wrong so much. Okay, I do but when you can start your day with this order, right and you can you can start to base your life on this order. God comes first. I'm gonna love God above everything else so that that shapes what I do and how I see the world and he says and love others and that shapes it right and then love myself as I love myself.

and that means I have to live my life with the with the different set of different North Star and when I set my calendar has to be different and when I'm doing my thing, it has to be his thing and this this happens all the time, right? So so just the other morning at three days ago, right just the other morning.

I'm doing my my time with God. I I breathe with God right I give him room to speak to me every morning. I try every morning. Right and I love when the weather gets good so I can do it outside. And I listened to this thing on my phone. I listen this thing called lectio 365. Okay, electoral 365 and it's just it's a devotional and it was about being interruptible. As God is interruptible and I got to study this day. Okay, my whole day is to decide I've got to study and and study is hard for me in the older. I get I get fidgety and I can only focus for so long and I got to move right but I knew I had to study and here he is. I just laugh. I I just literally in my backyard I laughed and I said Okay God, I have got to study today, but I will be On your your agenda. I will be interruptible and you know what sure enough I'm studying and I'm study. I'm walking around the office and and outside the office. There's this girl sitting there like she's waiting for somebody and nobody's around so I open the door and I say hey what's going on? What are you waiting for somebody and it was it was of all people Aubrey boresh of our Decora campus.

and and she was waiting to get something for pastor Manny our Decorah Pastor who was coming down to the to the to the office. So Britain Rachel's daughter who's a senior you and I who is a a tale kicking All American rugby player.

He's sitting out there. And so we get the talk or walking around and then we start talking about how she's doing and she just blew her knee out April 1st Horacio. And as we're walking around and we get to just talk about it we get to the end and I say Aubrey. Can I just pray for you?

And I pray that her identity would rest in Jesus. Not her abilities because her abilities can be taking away, but Jesus never can. And I don't know if it was a great moment for her. It was for me because while I'm praying for her. I remember hearing this morning got SB.

interruptible Keep your priorities. me and others Than you. And it was it was a beautiful moment. And then that beautiful moment was followed up by another one that ruined it.

So I had a lunch time. I didn't have anything so I ran to this tour. I saw something that I didn't want to see I'm a pastor. Okay, I'm human. Okay. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to talk and and so I saw that person down there and I got to the next aisle and and I was thinking about it. You know, I'm thinking yeah, I'm a dork. What am I doing? And then I'm walking out and this person is walking out the exact same time and I say Okay, God and you know what God used it again.

so my friends just in this moment just Just sit with me, okay. when we can decide who I am. and who I'm not in the priorities that I'm going to base my life on the ones that Jesus gave us.

It's gonna change everything. I can't tell you what it looks like for you. And your schedule and your family. I know we're the seasons to life. only you can decide just like with your over consuming and are overspending only you can decide.

But just like the faith line until you're sick of yourself and you decide I can't do it. You say okay Jesus. I trust you nothing ever changes and it's the same with the Faith Life. Until you are sick of being upside down. Until you are sick of running around like it's the chicken with your head cut off.

Nothing is going to change. all kinds of helps and calendars and to do that's not the issue. The issue is you decide what matters most and what is most important and what is deeper and you reflect it in your actual life.

Can't tell you what to do with your time and how to schedule your your priorities only you can choose and decide just don't let the days weeks months and years. Just keep whizzing by. And you play the victim to the schedule? Don't do it.

Decide just like Jesus did. so the question then is how do I decide how do I decide these things by doing the one thing that's the hardest thing to do and I don't know why it is but it just is By giving God room to speak to you.

And give yourself. room to listen you breathe. And if you'll sit in that spot. every day intentionally and you'll take a day every week or you quit producing and you just be a daughter and a son.

God will do amazing things in you and he will get you right side up. When it comes to the life. That you live. Let's pray together right now, okay. So God, we give this to you. And I pray that you would make us uncomfortably.

tired If this is upside down in our lives and Jesus name, amen.