The One | Jacob Compton | Doing Well

I'm really excited to be here. You know, my wife,

Alex, and I, we live in Nashville. I'm a family

minister at the church that I work at. So from

zero to 18, I'm there. I was literally texting

people this morning about, hey, y 'all call it,

we worship, we call it Kids in Christ service.

I was texting people this morning, hey, make

sure you do this, make sure you do that. And

people were like, hey, we got it. You know, it's

so weird to be a little bit, to be away from

the church for even a short amount of time that

we get to. you know, travel on the weekends.

It's a little bit weird to be away from my home

church, but I'm so incredibly glad to be here

this morning, be with my family, right? Regardless

of where we meet, we're family, and I'm absolutely

overjoyed by that. Donovan brought this to me

a little while ago about what this sermon series

is about, about what we're going to talk about

this morning, and it's all about doing well,

right? I think that so often in our lives, we

are consumed by the idea of success. We're consumed

by the idea of success. And we look across the

world, and one of the terrible things that we

can get into is we can get into the comparison

game. I work with, you know, small people, medium

people. I work with so many young people. And

one of the most prevailing themes in their lives

is the idea of comparison. You know, when a 16

-year -old gets a car, if they don't have a BMW,

it's like, oh, man, well, this guy got a BMW

for his 16th birthday. Am I lesser because of

that? Oh, this person got a car on their 16th

birthday. I only got a bike. Oh, this person

got this. This person got that. One of the things

that we too often focus onto is the idea of what

the definition is of doing well. What is the

definition of doing well? So often in not only

our culture, but every place surrounding the

world, the idea of doing well is tied to money.

It's tied to success. It's tied to fame. And

I don't think anybody in here would think it's

out of bounds to say that unfortunately that

has creeped its way into the church. What do

you mean that you go to a church of less than

400 people? What do you mean you don't have five

people on staff? What do you mean you don't have

this? What do you mean that you don't have that?

What do you mean you don't have a full -time

children's minister? What do you mean you don't

go to a Honduras trip every single year? What

do you mean you don't do this? And so we've judged

the church and people inside the church based

on success, how the world defines it. But that's

happened a lot, not only with this specific area

in terms of doing well, but also in business,

in Christian businesses, right? One of the gold

standards for doing well in the world today,

at least I feel, is Chick -fil -A, right? I think

that's a perfect example of Christians setting

a standard. And rather than curtailing their

clientele, curtailing their standards to the

world, they uplift the world's standards. When

we think of doing well, sometimes as a minister,

I can, I guess the best way to describe it is

I can fall into this sin. I can be worried about,

oh, My church doesn't have 500 people. I'm not

the biggest youth program in Nashville. I'm not

this. I'm not that. And I think that when we

start to understand the true definition of what

success is, the true definition of what doing

well is, the more it becomes obvious that Jesus

Christ is at the center of that. The idea of

well. The idea of doing, the idea of success

has to start at Christ. In the year 2020, it

was my very first ministry job. My very first

ministry job, I agreed to the job about two weeks

before the world shut down. It was wild. One

of the things that I did in that time frame was

I started, I'm a big NBA fan. I love NBA basketball.

You probably can tell by my height. But I love

NBA basketball. I love all things basketball.

I watch basketball way too much. And I started

this little podcast thing. So I started on YouTube,

on Twitter, on Instagram. I got some really awesome

opportunities. I got to interview several different

NBA players. This picture in the middle here,

it got posted on social media on the New Orleans

Pelican site. I'm there in the back. ground.

I got to stand on the court at halftime. I got

an NBA media pass. I got to talk to NBA GMs.

I got to meet millionaires who, you know, get

to play the game of basketball. And it was so

much fun. It was so much fun. And, you know,

by all metrics of the world, I was successful.

By all metrics of the world in this world, like

on Twitter, I was getting 5 to 10 million impressions

a month. On Instagram, I was getting paid to

do a post. On YouTube, I was making so much money

a month by posting all these videos. By all markers

of success in the world, I was successful. But

what went into this, in my mind, as a minister

now, was inappropriate. Because here's the point

that I was at, is that every game, NBA plays

82 games a year. Every game I was watching. It

didn't matter if I was at a wedding. It didn't

matter if I was at a funeral. It didn't matter

if I had a youth ministry thing going on that

day. I would end class early on Wednesday nights

to make sure that I got to watch the beginning

of this so I could tweet about it. So I could

make sure that I was the most informed on content

and be able to comment good things about the

team. My wife will tell you it was a rough time

because it seemed that all other responsibilities,

all other things in my life came second to this.

And I was still an active minister at the time.

By all metrics, I should have continued doing

this because I was successful. And the question

this morning is, Does all success come from God?

Does all success come from God? It's a very interesting

and important question that we have to ask. Some

of us immediately have an answer. Some of us

have dealt with people in the world who are successful

by the metric of the world, who sell millions

of dollars of merchandise, who... have really

good businesses that are profitable, that have

a wide span of successfulness, both professionally

in the business world and things like that. But

one of the things that I think we have to understand,

and I'll say this and then we'll explain it,

is that Satan can bless you too. Satan will give

you anything you want. Anything you want. He'll

give you money. He'll give you fame. He'll give

you ideas and ideals of grandeur that you could

obtain one day. But apart from that, he'll take

everything you have. He'll give you anything

you want, but will take everything that you have.

And I think one of the things that we have to

understand, and with the idea of Satan blessing

us, I know we tie that word with blessing and

we tie it with Christ and God and what he has

given to us and praise be to him for that. But

Satan can make a curse seem like a blessing.

He can say, you know what? This thing that you've

wanted for your entire life, I'm going to be

a good guy. I'm going to give it to you. And

I think that it is no more clear that this is

not only true, but absolutely fundamental to

not only our faith as individuals, but even to

Christ. In Matthew chapter 4, verses 1 through

Matthew 4:1–11

11, then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the

wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After

fasting for 40 days and for 40 nights, he was

hungry. The tempter came to him and said, if

you are the Son of God, tell these stones to

become bread. Jesus answered, it is written,

man shall not live on bread alone. but on every

word that comes from the mouth of God. And the

devil took him to the holy city, had him stand

at the highest point of the temple. If you are

the son of God, he said, throw yourself down

for it is written. He will command his angels

concerning you and they will lift. you up in

their hands so that you will not strike your

foot against a stone. Jesus answered him, it

is also written, do not put the Lord your God

to the test. Again, the devil took him to a very

high mountain and showed him all of the kingdoms

of the world and their splendor and says, what?

I will give them to you. He said, if you will

bow down and worship me. Jesus said to him, away

from me, Satan, for it is written, worship the

Lord your God and serve him only. And the devil

left him and the angels came and attended. We

see it very clearly at the end of the verse here.

Verse nine, all this I will give to you. The

idea of success is great. The source of success

is more important. If Christ is not the source

of our success, then I question what we have

been given. So often we can have conversations

about fruit, right? Don and I this week, we're

talking about the idea of fruits versus fruit

of the Spirit. If the success that we have is

not built upon love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, and faithfulness, has it come from

God? And can a good thing be a good thing apart

from God? Can a fantastic work that wasn't inspired

by God be good? There's so many questions. There's

so much to contain here. I know we're at the

part of the sermon where you're like, where are

we going? Where are we getting at? I'm going

to take a break. Let's see. How many people in

here are under 10 years old? Do we have anybody?

Question mark. Yes. No, maybe so. One on there.

What about under 18? Under 18? Yes. One, two.

Look, I got you a deal. I got you a steal of

a deal. I got a dollar. Can you name who is most

often attributed to... The writing of Ecclesiastes.

Who's the author? You can shout it out. I'll

give you a dollar. No? No? Okay, we'll go 25

and under. Anybody? Anybody? No. I promise you

can shout it out. 25. 25 and under? 35 and under.

Solomon? Who said it? Oh, that man needs some

money. After this, I got you. I got you. Listen.

I'll pay for half the tip at the Mexican restaurant

after lunch today. I got you. I got you. Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 is most commonly attributed to Solomon,

right? Solomon was this guy that for whatever

reason became somebody who was consumed by success.

And it's really important that we understand

in Solomon's story, he was blessed by God with

what? Wisdom, blessed with riches. Even if something

starts with a blessing from God, it can still

not end up as a result of God. Solomon's life

is a beautiful, painful example of that. I don't

know if y 'all are still a Bible reading church,

but I read big chapters all the time. So if you

want to read with me, I'm going to read the entire

chapter of Ecclesiastes 2. If you take the idea

of it being read by Solomon, I think it's hauntingly

beautiful in this idea of success. Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2. I said in my heart, come now, I will

test you with pleasure. Enjoy yourself, but hold

this also was vanity. I said of laughter, it

is mad, and of pleasure, what use is it? I searched

with my heart how to cheer my body with wine,

my heart still guiding me with wisdom, and how

to lay... hold on folly, till I might see what

was good for the children of man to do under

heaven during the few days of their life. I made

great works. I built houses. I planted vineyards

for myself. I made myself gardens and parks and

planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made

myself pools from which to water to the forest

of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves

and had slaves who were born in my house. I had

also great possessions of herds and flocks more

than any who had been before me in Jerusalem.

I also gathered for myself silver and gold and

the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers,

men and women, and many concubines, the delight

of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed

all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my

wisdom remained with me, and whatever my eyes

desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart

from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure

in all my toil. And this was my reward for all

of my toil, that I considered all that my hands

had done in the toil I had expended in doing

it. And behold, all was vanity, and the striving

after win. Then there was nothing to be gained

under the sun. So I turned to consider wisdom

and madness and folly. For what can the man do

who comes after the king? Only what has already

been done. Then I saw that there is more gain

in wisdom than in folly. And there is more gain

in light than in darkness. The wise person. has

his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.

And yet I perceive that the same event happens

to all of them. Then I said in my heart, what

happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why

then have I been so very wise? And said in my

heart that this is also vanity. For of the wise,

as of the fool, there is no enduring remembrance,

seeing that in the days to come all will have

been forgotten. How the wise dies just like the

fool. So I hated life, because what is done under

the sun was grievous to me. For all is vanity

and a striving after win. And I hated all my

toil, in which I toil under the sun, seeing that

I must leave it to the man who will come after

me. And who knows whether he will be wise or

a fool? Yet he will be the master of all, which

I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This

is also vanity. So I turned about and gave my

heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors

under the sun, because sometimes a person who

has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill

must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone

who did not toil for it. This also is vanity

and a great evil. What has a man from all the

toil and striving of heart with which he toils

beneath the sun? For all his days are full of

sorrow and his work of vexation. Even in the

night his heart does not rest. This is also vanity.

There is nothing better for a person than that

he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in

his toil. This also I saw is from... the hand

of God. For apart from him who can eat or who

can have enjoyment. For to the one who pleases

him, God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy.

But to the sinner, he has given the busyness

of gathering and collecting only to give to one

who pleases God. This is also vanity. and is

striving after the wind. It is so incredibly

hauntingly beautiful. You see a man that has

been given everything, success, money. It says

that his house was innumerable, his wives innumerable,

his money uncalculable. The man who had it all,

at the end, after it had all been taken away,

that is when he found out how important the source

was. Because he had it all. Again, the same idea.

He had the successes of the world. And it boils

down to this point. Do not judge success on the

scale of the world, but instead through the eyes

of God. Do not judge it based on biggest house.

Do not judge it based on most money. Do not judge

it based on all the things that so many people

in the world want to tell us. And honestly, even

people in the church will tell us. How many times

do we see, not only in my work, but in our everyday

lives, do we see people out in the world who

have... you know, these huge churches that, you

know, spend hundreds and hundreds and thousands

and thousands. I'll give you a perfect example

from a church in Nashville. There was a church

in Nashville that was giving out $1 ,000 to the

individual who was under 18 years old who brought

the most friends to church. And here's, I'm not

saying that I don't spend money to get people

to come to church, but I have an issue with that.

I have an issue with that because quite simply

and quite frankly, as nicely as I can put it,

I hold a high regard for what God blesses a church

with. If a family, you know, I think about a

family member at our church that they have a

limited income and they give, you know, let's

say they give $30 on a Sunday morning. And it's

a sacrifice. And we so flippantly give something

like that out to an 18 year old, a 16 year old,

a 15 year old, whatever it may be. And so in

the pursuit of success, have we lost the mission

of Christ? In the pursuit of filling a sanctuary

filled with people who love God, have we forgot

the definition? of success? Have we forgot how

many people the church started with? Have we

forgot that God blesses us regardless of the

number of people in attendance? He blesses the

true and faithful in heart, the people who are

seeking Him daily, the people who are desiring

Him so fervently that their lives are changed

forever. The truth and the matter of the fact

is so often what can happen is we see success

and we're threatened by it. We should always

be in prayer and always be lifting up churches

to be successful, for people to be successful.

And the fruits of our labor, the fruits of their

labor, will show if that success is from God.

And more importantly, and this is the part that

I think all of us struggle with, is the idea

of judgment in that. Sometimes there's a really

popular saying, there's no hate like Christian

love, right? Sometimes because we can get kind

of a bad rap for being a little judgy. Just a

little bit, some of us. Not you great, wonderful

people, but people out there. Sometimes we can

get a little bit of hate for being judgy. We

can. And it's really interesting to me because

what can happen is, and it happens all the time,

is we so often become the brother in Luke chapter

Luke 15 · chapter mention

15. If you'll read with me there, Luke chapter

Luke 15:11–32

15, verses 11 through 32. And he said there was

a man who had two sons, and the younger of them

said to his father, Father, give me the share

of the property that is coming to me. And he

divided his property between them. Not many days

later, the younger son gathered all he had. and

took a journey into a far country. And there

he squandered his property and reckless living,

and when he had spent everything, a severe famine

arose in that country. And he began to be in

need, so he went and hired himself out to one

of the citizens of that country, who sent him

into his fields to feed the pigs. And he was

longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs

ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he

came to himself, he said, How many of my father's

hired servants have more than enough bread, but

I perish here with hunger? I will arise and go

to my father, and I will say to him, Father,

I have sinned against heaven and before you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Treat me as one of your hired servants. And he

arose and came to his father. But while he was

still a long way off, his father saw him and

felt compassion and ran and embraced him and

kissed him. And the son said to him, Father,

I have sinned against heaven and before you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants, bring quickly

the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring

on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring

the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and

celebrate. For my son was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found, and they began to celebrate.

Now his older son was in the field, and as he

came and drew near to the house, he heard music

and he heard dancing. And he called one of the

servants and asked what these things meant. And

he said to him, your brother has come and your

father has killed the fattened calf because he

has received him back safe and sound. But he

was angry and refused to go in. His father came

out and entreated him. But he answered his father,

look, these many years I have served you and

I never disobeyed your command. You have never

gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with

my friends. But when this son of yours came who

has devoured your property with prostitutes,

you killed the fatted calf for him. And he said

to him, son, you're always with me, and all that

is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate

and be glad, for this your brother was dead and

is alive. He was lost and he is found. When I

think of the church today, I feel too often.

that we're like the brother in this scenario.

I'll give you a really good example. A lot of

times we'll see people out, whether they are

celebrities, whether we know them really well.

Maybe they are a movie star, an actor. Maybe

they're an NFL player. Maybe they play NBA. Maybe

they're a famous concert. or a famous person

in the orchestra or whatever it is. We see these

people who are really, really famous in life.

Maybe they've lived their lives in a way in which

has been public and has not been pretty. You

know, maybe they've had several divorces. Maybe

they have had several scandals. Maybe they've

had several things in their life that do not

reflect Christian values. And all of a sudden

we see maybe on social media in a post or something

like that, we'll see that, hey, this person got

baptized. How many Christians would we see in

the comments of a post like that being like,

this isn't real. This isn't real. Hey, we know

what you did last week. We know, we know, we

see this. We know 10 years ago what you were.

We know that you've had several husbands. We

know that you've had several partners. We know

that, you know, you've been drunk on the cover

of Vogue or whatever it is. Like, we know these

things. And Christians are so loud. We are so

loud when people come to Christ about how they

don't meet our level of Christ, about how they

don't meet our level of faith, about how they

don't meet certain standards that we have set

that God has not. I fear that the church today

has never been louder. We've never had less to

say. I feel that so often we scream from the

mountaintops about what is and what is not right.

Another example for you. For a long time, especially

when I grew up, there was a lot of people that

said, no, you have to use the KJV. No, don't

use the KJV, use the New King James Version.

What do you mean you use the NIV? How can you

use anything else besides the NASB? How can you

use that type of Bible? How can you use that

translation? If you're in the churches of Christ,

you use the message, you're already excommunicated.

Like, it has been insane for a long time. And

that's a standard that has not been set. And

so what we say for so long is that this person,

has not met my definition of what it means to

be a Christian, yet they have met the definition

of what it means to be a Christian in Christ's

love. What happens is the further and further

and further and further that we get... Maybe

it's our own conversion. Maybe it's the start

of our faith. Maybe we go from the milk to the

meat. The further that we get from the milk,

the more that we judge people that they're not

on the meat already. I see it all the time in

the church today that we see 15 and 16 and 17

-year -olds make big mistakes that they are going

to make, and older Christians judge them. They

say, I never made that mistake. How can you make

that mistake? You are not a Christian. Do not

call yourself a Christian. Do not relate yourself

with me. And Christ is making a point here. Do

not be overjoyed that you are better in comparison

than another Christian. That if another Christian

comes back home into the fold of God's love,

that we welcome them in, that we eat the fatted

calf with them because we're overjoyed. We're

so incredibly filled with the spirit of renewal,

of hope, of love. of so many great and fantastic

emotions that God gives us to express the beauty

that is a Christian who has been found. It's

amazing to me to see people come to Christ, but

I still struggle with this. I texted Donovan

this week about somebody who is famous, kind

of like I said, that made a commitment to God

that I questioned. And in his study for this

lesson, I was like, wow, I stink. You know, like

I was like, you, what are we doing? Sometimes

you preach to yourself. And I think it's important

for all of us to understand this point most specifically.

We cannot be so consumed by our own Christian

journey that we forget that there are many paths

to the faith. Many paths. It's not always two

-parent household, two -and -a -half kids, go

to church every Sunday and Wednesday. It's not

always that because life is messy. The faith

is messy. It can be really hard to not only be

a Christian, but it can be really hard to be

a part of something that you feel inferior to.

I struggle with this relationship. up and down

that we have with God. Because even preaching,

I've told Donovan, I've told several people,

I don't consider myself a preacher. It's not

something I desire. I'm so excited that Donovan

has made that journey into the pulpit. I think

he does a great, fantastic job. But I just don't

think that preaching is something that I aspire

to do full time because I have such a high calling

of it. It's such a high calling. Same thing with

like an elder, right? Is that it's such a high

calling, I feel like I constantly will fall below,

and I'm scared of the things that I won't do.

When we think about our Christian journey, we

have to remember there are many paths to that

faith. Some people have to meet, it's a really

popular saying, some people have to meet Jesus

at the very last moment. Think of the thief on

the cross. He knew about Jesus. He believed in

Jesus more than the guy to the right. Sometimes

faith journey, our faith journey looks very different

from the people to the left and to the right

of us. And praise be to God for that. Because

for me, You know, my dad and my grandfather passed

very, very young when I was about three years

old. And I grew up without my dad and my grandfather.

So every time that, like, I would read the Bible,

I would read that what's the most common relationship

that we see depicted between Jesus and God, right?

It's a father -son relationship. And I struggled

with that, right? Because I didn't get to know

my father. I didn't know what it was like to

be his son. So I struggled with that. And I needed

people who had great father and son relationships

to describe that to me. The beauty of the church

is not that everyone is uniform. It is that God

fits us together like a puzzle. That every little

indent that we have, every piece that we have

or that is missing, someone in the church is

able to fulfill. And I think so often of how

we can continue to grow the church, continue

to be a better example for the people around

us, be involved in the community, and be a church

that calls people to a higher. I coach fifth

and sixth grade basketball. One of the things

I tell them all the time is this. I'm not calling

you out. I'm calling you up, right? I'm not saying

you're a terrible human being. I'm saying I know

your character. I know how you can act better,

right? I know how God is working in your life,

and I know that He calls us all higher, and I

know that we can do that together. That's the

beauty of the church. One of the things that

we have to remember is in Luke chapter 15, verse

Luke 15:7

7, I tell you that in the same way there will

be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who

repents than over 99 righteous persons who do

not need to repent. Who is your one center? Oftentimes

we sit in a church setting and there's some semblance

of an altar call. We have some type of conversation

here on a Sunday morning and we say, all right,

you know, we're going to stand up. We're going

to have a prayer. If you need anything, you come

forward, right? Who's your one person? I think

it's really interesting. Donovan and I were talking

about this this past week about what this means.

One of the times when we read verses like this,

we say, who's our one sinner? Who's our one person

that we are trying to affect in our lives to

impact change? One of the things that God all

the time in the Old Testament and a lot of times

in the New Testament, he calls us to consider

ourselves first. Who is that one person? Could

that one person be you? Could that one person

be somebody in your life that you desperately

need to have a conversation with? Not a, you're

the worst person in the world, but how can I

help you? I'll never forget a family that I know.

in Texas had an atheist son who was very against

Christianity for a really, really long time.

And every month or so, they'd say, hey, son,

you know, can we talk about this? And he'd say

no. He'd say no. And it took 32 and a half years

until the son finally said yes. Sometimes it's

not about what you're saying. It's about when

you say it. Sometimes it's not about coming in

with the fist, the meat of the Bible, but coming

with the love and care that Christ shows us every

day, to be able to wake up on this earth, to

be able to breathe, to be able to live, to be

able to enjoy the emotions that He has given

us, the joy, the laughter, even the pain. Who

is your one person? Is it you? Are you avoiding

a conversation? Is it someone close to you? Is

it somebody that you love? I'm not the person

that's going to stand up here and say, well,

you have to talk today because you might not

get tomorrow. I believe that. But I also believe

that pushing people with some sort of spiritual

manipulation is not healthy. that you do know

as a Christian when is the right time to have

a conversation with your one. What are you doing

in preparation for that conversation now? Are

you studying? Are you praying? Are you lifting

them up in prayer? Are you studying the scriptures

about something that they are afflicted with?

Are you securing yourself with the Spirit so

when that time comes, He is blessing you with

the beauty that He can. with the joy of the gospel,

with the joy of Christ? Who is your one? I don't

know exactly how you typically pray. One of the

things that I always like to do in my own personal

prayer life is I always like to just talk to

God about the people that I'm thinking about.

whether it be somebody at my work, somebody that

I meet at National Christian, somebody in a bank

that I've met, a general person that's come to

church once or twice, whatever it may be. Just

talk to God about that person. Not in a way where

we're trying to change their lives, but just

say, God, if this person is somebody that you

want me to be involved in their lives, make that

clear. Who is your one? I would love for us to

pray over that person now.