What Do You Want?

If you've got a Bible, I want you to turn to two spots.

Psalm 2, and I want you to put a marker in John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

Open up the Psalm 2.

We're going to start there, and then I want you to put a marker in John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

I think sometimes, without even realizing it, we begin to treat God as though he were Santa Claus.

We hope he calls us to his lap, and we have the opportunity to be asked the question by the God of the universe.

And what do you want from me?

So that we can give him our laundry lists of things we call needs that are actually just wants.

But what if God actually did come to you and ask you the question, What do you want?

Since that is the question that many want to be asked this time of year and any time of year, I've decided to title today's message, What Do You Want?

What do you want?

Because what if, I'm not saying this will happen, but what if God were to come to you and give you a Psalms 2 moment?

Listen to what Psalms 2, verse 8 says.

Psalms 2:8

Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.

What if God came to you and said, What do you want?

How would you respond?

What would you say?

Today I'm going to give you three different options as answers if God ever comes to you and asks the question, What do you want?

Now, before I give you point number one, the first option as an answer, let me just tell you, because you're going to get excited about this point.

But let me tell you, this is the worst answer to give God if He ever asks you, What do you want?

Alright?

Here's point number one, the first option.

I want more.

I want more, and I put in parenthesis, than what I've got.

I want more than I've already got.

There's a word for this desire.

It's gonna make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside this Christmas.

It's the word greed.

The word greed simply means the insatiable desire for more, whether we need it or not.

The insatiable desire for more, whether we need it or not.

Now, greed does not come from a bad desire.

Greed is a bad desire.

Greed actually comes from a bad perspective.

Seeing things the wrong way.

Think about it.

Why do we always want more than we've already got?

Here's why I think.

Because we've become convinced that we would be more if we just had more.

Think about it.

I would be so happy.

I would be so fulfilled.

I would just be so satisfied.

I would be more of a man.

I would be more of a woman.

I would be more of a success if I just had more.

Jesus addressed this bad perspective in the book of Luke when a man calls out from the crowd and says in verse 13, Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me.

Jesus replied, Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?

Then he said, Beware, guard against every kind of greed.

Life is not measured by how much you own.

Why do you think God is so anti-greed?

Have you ever thought about this?

Most certainly God is anti-greed, but why?

I'll give you a thought.

I think God is anti-greed because greed never sees things as a gift from God.

Greed actually sees things as a substitute for God.

I think this is why God is so anti-greed.

Because greed refuses to see things as gifts from God, but actually sees them as a substitute for God.

Very dangerous perspective.

Let's talk about it from the perspective of our children, parents.

Have you ever given one of your children the best present of Christmas?

Maybe kind of like in our house, about every year, one of the children kind of gets the best present, and it alternates every year.

And it's that one gift you're most excited to give.

It can be the most expensive or the one desired most.

And you bring the gift to your child, and maybe they're eight or nine years old, and halfway through opening up the best present of Christmas, your child realizes what's beneath the wrapping paper.

And before they even rip into the box, and this was the gift they wanted more than anything, they're already looking around the room to see if there are other gifts to open.

And you want to grab them by the ears and go, you spoiled little brat.

This was the present of Christmas.

This was the one you wanted more than anything, and you've opened it, you're not even playing with it, and you're already looking around for more gifts.

Have you ever stopped to think what we look like to God when He has just given us much and we have the guts to immediately begin asking Him for more?

I wonder if He doesn't look at us the same way we look at our children when they do that.

Just go, Preston, you spoiled little brat.

Here I am bringing you the gift I've been waiting for hundreds of years to give you, and you're looking around the room for something else.

Perspective.

It's not healthy to look at something God gives you and immediately look beyond it for more.

How can we ever stop from being that spoiled?

I think one way, we can stop making so many lists of all the things we want.

We can start making lists of things we've got that we're grateful for.

As long as we keep making lists for more, we will always battle the temptation to go after more.

The desire for more causes many people to lose much of what they've already been given.

Let me say that again.

The desire for more causes many to lose much of what they've already given.

So what do we do?

How do we keep from having this insatiable desire for more?

Proverbs chapter 23, verse 4.

Proverbs 23:4

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth or to go after more.

Cease from your consideration of it.

This is so incredibly important.

And you need to understand this.

The more you think about and go after more, the more you neglect what you've already been given.

How many times have we all seen someone in the pursuit for more?

They get fixated on what they do not yet have, and in doing so, they neglect and eventually lose what they've already been given.

1 Timothy 6, verse 6 says, Now godliness with contentment.

1 Timothy 6:6

What is contentment?

Complete satisfaction with what you've already got.

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

I want you to think about this.

When are you most excited about what you've got?

I think there is a time where we all are most excited about what we've got.

It's when we see that we're able to do more than we thought with what we've got.

How many of you go to the grocery store and when you shop, you see on your receipt a percentage of what you saved, and your life is controlled by that little number right there.

When I go to the grocery store, I like to be the one to do the shopping.

Sometimes I get fixated not on how much I spent, but on how much I saved.

If I spend$40 and save$40, if you saw the look on my face, you'd have thought I just won$40 million.

Why?

Because there's something inside of me, when it dawns on me, look at what I'm able to do.

Look at how much I'm able to accomplish with what I've already got.

There's a satisfaction that comes.

Truth be told, I buy things at the grocery store.

Sometimes I don't even like to eat, just so my percentage can be high.

When are we most satisfied with what we've got?

I believe it's when we're able to do more with it than we thought we could.

That leads to the second point.

Now remember, point number one, the worst answer, if God ever asks you, what do you want?

Point number two is a great answer.

If God ever asks you what do you want, here's a great answer.

I want to do more.

I put in parentheses, with what I've already got.

I want to do more with what I've already got.

Not I want to do more from the perspective of, I want a promotion.

I want more responsibility.

I want to do more with what I've already got.

If you're ever gonna do more with what you've already got, you're going to have to first change how you see what you've already been given.

Zechariah chapter 4, verse 10 is a very special verse to me.

Zechariah 4:10

Typically, some of my favorite verses are the ones that God spanks me most often with.

This is one of those verses.

Zechariah chapter 4, God addresses this perspective of seeing little as little when God sees little as big.

Zechariah 4 · chapter mention

Look at Zechariah chapter 4, verse 10.

Zechariah 4:10

It says this do not despise these small beginnings.

For the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubabel's hand.

Let me give you, I'm a one-liner guy.

This is kind of how I hear the Lord.

This is my favorite one-liner of 2015.

Okay?

So that means just do me a favor and write it down, even if you don't like this one-liner.

The epitome of spoiled is despising something God was delighted to give you.

Think about that in the context of Zechariah chapter 4.

Zechariah 4 · chapter mention

Do not despise little beginnings, for God rejoices to see the work begin.

Another way to say that is the definition, the epitome of spiritually spoiled is to despise something God was delighted to give you.

Let's look at this and kind of use me as an example.

Let's just say that I was sent out to start a church plant.

And let's say I had grown up in a church that when it was time for me to leave was around 20,000 people.

And when I, this is a hypothetical story, by the way.

When I went off to plant the church, and and let's just say at the first interest meeting that I hypothetically held, there were 35 or 36 people coming from 20,000 people.

Here's what Zechariah 4 is saying that it's entirely possible that if I were in that room despising that there were only 35 people in the room, that God was in the same room looking at the same thing I was, that I was calling little, God was calling it huge, and he's standing there going like this.

I've been waiting since before a person was born for this moment.

And I'm sitting there like a spoiled brat, going, Where's everybody else?

The epitome of spoil is to despise something.

God was delighted to give you.

Listen to what Luke records in chapter 16, verse 10.

If you're faithful in little things, you'll be faithful in large ones.

But if you're dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.

If when you look at what God's given you, you see little, let me let you in on a little secret.

It will never become more than what it already is.

If you look at something and see little, it will never become more than it already is.

Because we'll just make the excuse, I can't do very much with that, God.

You just need to give me more if you want me to do more.

Listen, some of us, when God gives us little, we look at it and complain and we call it punishment.

When God gives you little, it's not punishment.

It's just one of the ways He says, it's okay, you just need a little more practice.

Don't look when God gives you little and call it a trial.

Oh, things are just so difficult.

I'm just in a trial.

Well, what's going on?

God's given me so little.

The very thing you're looking at, calling a trial, God looks at and calls a tryout.

You have to understand this about God.

He is the master of disguising big opportunities by wrapping them in little responsibilities.

Don't call anything little, especially when God looks at it and calls it big.

Remember the parable of the ten servants who each get a bag of silver, Luke chapter 19?

Luke 19 · chapter mention

One of the servants goes away and takes the one bag of silver and turns it into ten bags of silver.

That's a great return on investment, right there.

He gets one bag of silver, comes back with ten, and in Luke chapter 19, Jesus tells us how the king responds in the parable to this servant who brings a tenfold return on investment.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

Well done, the king exclaimed.

You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you.

Can we stop right there for a second?

If there's anyone who's hearing this message and feels like God is giving you little opportunity after little opportunity, and you've found yourself saying, I just feel like God's thrown me a bone.

I'm not getting any meat on the bone, He's just throwing me a little bone.

Listen to the words I just read that Jesus says, You've been faithful with the little I entrusted to you.

God's not throwing you a little bone, he is entrusting to you a big responsibility.

But if you always see it as little, you will rarely do anything with it.

Listen to the reward that the king gives this servant.

You were faithful with the little I entrusted you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.

Now, some of you might be here today.

You might be saying, Well, Preston, I'm a little bit further in life.

There's really nothing at this stage of my life that's little.

I have all the toys that I dreamt about having when I was a child.

All of the opportunities that I now receive are all big opportunities.

I appreciate this message, but I I'm really not in the land of little anymore.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, ma'am.

Can I just address you for one second?

What you see as much today is actually little compared to tomorrow's reward for today's faithfulness.

Even if you feel like you have a lot today, it's actually still a little when you compare it to tomorrow's reward that God gives for today's faithfulness.

Never despise anything little that God puts in your hand.

I want you to envision a scenario with me.

Can you imagine if God were to come to you and bring you a special gift?

And this gift, you can tell by the look on his face, he is excited to give it to you.

And he brings this gift that is beautifully wrapped and your mind is reeling about what it could be, and he sets the gift in front of you.

Can you imagine looking at God in the eyes and saying, Lord, I'm I'm so excited to open this gift.

I I can't wait to open this gift, but before I open it, can I make one request?

And you can just imagine God tilting his head sideways just a little bit.

Now you know there's an angle that God's face makes when he is not quite satisfied with what you just said, and it is this angle right here.

It's the same angle my wife's face gets when she's mad.

Preston, what is the request, son?

I mean, I'm bringing you a gift, and you're going to make another request before you open the gift?

Yes, Lord, and I'm so excited to open this gift, but but before I open it, can I have 30 more days?

I want to open this gift and I can't wait to open it.

Can I just have 30 more days?

Why do you want 30 days?

Well, because Lord, I'm not quite finished with what I've already started with what I've already been given.

And I just want, before I open this new gift, I just want 30 days to finish what I've started with what I've already been given.

Can I have 30 more days?

Can you even imagine the look on God's face when you hit the time out button on one of the gifts he brings to you to go steward one of the gifts he's already given you?

I think his response might be to render you speechless at the work of his hand.

You think the gift he laid down is good, he's gonna go whip something up and make it even better.

Why?

Because his child says, I'm thankful for this gift, but I take so seriously the gifts you've already given me that I don't want to move to the next one until I fully steward the old one.

It's a pretty good answer.

If God ever comes to you and says, What do you want?

But point number three, I believe, is the best answer.

And I believe I can prove it in Scripture.

If God ever comes to you and says, What do you want from me?

Here's what I believe to be the best answer.

Point number three.

I want you more.

God, I want you more than ever before.

God, I just want you.

I don't want anything else.

All I want is you.

Flip over to John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

And you'll see why I think this is the best answer if God ever asks you, What do you want?

Because I think if you were to ask the Lord, God, what do you want from me this next year?

If you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, I'll tell you right now, wholeheartedly, I believe.

God would say, I want you to give me your life.

If you are a believer, here's what I think God would say.

I want you to love me more.

I want you to want me more.

I want you deep down to burn for more of me.

And here's why I think that.

John chapter 15, verse 4.

John 15:4

Jesus says, Abide in me, and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.

Now, we've turned John chapter 15 into a passage on what we can accomplish if we just remain close to God.

John 15 · chapter mention

I do not believe the thrust of John 15 is about what we're capable of when we're close to God.

I believe the most important word in John 15 is abide.

And if you study this word abide in Scripture, here is one of the meanings, and it's not a definition, it's actually a phrase.

And it is the phrase, stay with me.

Stay with me.

Do you realize what that means?

The last time you spent alone time with God and you got up to leave the room and to go about your day and move on to what is next.

It's entirely possible, whether you heard it or not, that the last words God spoke as you were walking out of the room, the creator of the universe.

It's entirely possible that the last words he said as you exited the room were, stay with me.

Just five more minutes?

Just stay with me.

I've got to tackle my day.

Take me with you.

Let's stay together all day.

For the rest of our lives and for all eternity.

Let's just stay together.

Stay with me, Preston.

Well, Preston, I don't think God really has that tone with me.

That kind of just sounds a little bit romantic for my taste, a little bit cheesy.

I don't know that God sounds like that.

I beg to differ.

Psalm chapter 27, verse 8.

Psalms 27:8

My heart, not my head, my mind, my heart has heard you say, Come and talk with me.

And my heart responds, Lord, I am coming.

It's romantic language.

How do you know that you deep down truly desire to have more of God?

It's easy for us to say, and it sounds like the right thing to say.

I want more of him.

But how do we actually know we truly desire more of him?

I'll give you a couple of thoughts and we'll be done.

Here's the first thought.

Here's one of the ways I think you know you want him more.

You're finding him more.

You know you're wanting him more when you're finding him more.

Listen to Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 13.

Jeremiah 29:13

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

I love verse 14.

I will be found by you, says the Lord.

How do you know you want more of him?

You're finding him more.

You find him in aisle four of the grocery store.

You find him at family reunions.

You find him at the end of a cowboy's loss.

You know you're wanting him more when you're finding him more.

Well, Preston, I I read the New Testament and I see God saying constantly, seek me and you'll find me.

Seek me, you'll find me.

Knock, the door will be open.

Just come after me.

And I feel like I am chasing after God, but I don't always find him the way that I want to.

And I'm kind of tired of playing hide and seek with God.

He's making me chase him.

Let me correct your perspective for a moment, because that's absolutely wrong.

You chase someone that wants to flee from you, but you pursue someone who wants to be found by you.

God's not wanting you to chase him, he's wanting you to pursue him.

Let me ask you this question: if you're chasing after God and you don't feel that you're finding him every time you chase him, let me ask you a pretty pointed question.

When you find him, would you rather hear God say, Here I am?

Or would you rather hear him say, Here you go?

Would you rather hear God say, after chasing him, when you find him, here I am?

Or would you rather hear him say, Here you go?

Maybe the reason you're not finding him every time you pursue him, is because he gets the sense you're going after a handout and not actually his hand.

Think about it.

If someone were chasing you around all day, every day, and every time they caught up to you, they wanted something from you.

Would you always answer the door every time they knocked?

No, you would not.

Uh-uh.

Think about it.

If every time I go after God, I'm really not going after God, I'm going after something I want God to give me.

Maybe that's the reason I sometimes don't always find him when I pursue him.

One of the ways you know, you deep, deeply desire more of him is you're finding him more.

Here's the second way I think you can know that you truly desire him more.

How do you sound when you talk about him and talk to him?

How do you sound when you talk to God and when you talk about God?

Have you ever noticed that you don't talk about your boss the same way you talk to your spouse?

Think of it this way.

What would it be like if I went into guest central after the service and talked to first-time guests the same way I talked to my wife?

Imagine it something like this.

I walk into guest central.

Hey baby, how are you doing?

I don't talk to my wife like that, by the way.

That would never ever work.

She would say something like, I was doing better before you walked into the room with that voice.

But think about it, I would never talk to people in Get Central the same way I talk to my wife.

Why?

The more intimate the relationship, the more intimate the tone and conversation.

What do you sound like when you talk to God and talk about God?

Do you sound like someone madly in love?

Or do you just sound like someone religiously committed?

Listen to a couple of passages in the book of Psalms, Psalm 42, verse 1.

Psalms 42:1

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you.

Psalm 63, verse 1.

Psalms 63:1

O God, you are my God.

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you, my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 84 verses 1 and 2.

Psalms 84:1

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of heaven's armies.

I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.

With my whole being, body, and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.

I'll tell you how I feel about this message.

You remember when you were in the sixth grade and one of your friends asked you to pass a love note to one of the other kids in class?

Here's how I feel about this message.

I feel like the God of the universe handed me a handwritten love note to you.

And I did what we all did in the sixth grade when one of our friends passed us a note to pass to someone else.

I read it.

And here's what the note said.

From God to you.

I love you more than you will ever understand or be able to wrap your mind around.

I've been staring at you this entire class.

Truth be told, I've been staring at you since before you made your first appearance in your mother's womb.

Because I'm enamored with you.

There's nothing I would not do for you.

Because I love you.

I want to spend all eternity with you.

And I just want to know do you want me the same way I want you?

I love you.

Daddy.

I feel like I've done my part to pass the note.

The ball is in your court right now.

What do you want?

I want you to bow your heads and close your eyes.

At the end of every service, we always have one more song of worship.

And during that time, we have some people come to the front of this room that we call altar ministry, our altar ministry team.

And if you're here today and you need prayer for anything at all, maybe you're in overflow.

We'll have altar ministry there at the front of your room, wherever you are.

If you need prayer for anything at all, maybe it's about the message.

Maybe it has nothing to do with the message.

Maybe this has been a difficult year.

Maybe it's been a phenomenal year.

Maybe you find yourself distracted by the insatiable desire for more.

And you deeply desire to forget all of that and truly just want Him more.

If you need prayer for anything at all, when I'm done praying in a moment, and have everyone in this room stand.

And when they stand, you can come forward and we'd love to pray for you.

Holy Spirit, I pray right now for every person at every campus, for every person watching online.

God, I pray that we every day of our lives would sense your extravagant, loving pursuit of us.

And I pray our response would be to pursue you right back wholeheartedly.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.