Nothing Is Something in the Right Place

want you to turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4 Philippians chapter 4 we're doing a series from Philippians chapter 4 and verses 4-8 or I'm sorry Philippians chap 4: 7 through through 9 and I want to read this these verses as we come together and I want to encourage you again to memorize these verses as well but it says in the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus finally Brethren what s of things are true what s of things are honest what sort of things are just what sort of things are pure what s of things are a good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things those things which you have

both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of Peace shall be with you so we're going to we're doing this series we introduced a little bit last week and talking about uh using the illustration of a checking account that getting saved is like going down to the bank and opening a checking account you can open a checking account for free and getting saved is just uh is there's no there's no cost to it there's no Works involved all you've got to do is go to the bank of heaven and said God I want to deposit my soul with Jesus Christ for all eternity but once you open the checking account if you want to draw money out of the account you've got to put money into the account

I'm not sure if you learned that yet or not but that's the simple basic principle otherwise you're going to get overdrafts and uh and and uh so we need to make sure that you put money in or to take money out and the phrase at the end of verse number eight that says think on these things the word think is uh can be used as a accounting term to mean deposit these things and so we deposit things that are true and honest and just and pure and so on then as we deposit those things in our lives we will then be able to draw upon the blessings and and the goodness of God and and so we need to keep depositing these things now we're going to start going through the individual talk about what is what

is things that are true what are things that are honest how's that different we'll talk about things that are just and pure we're going to have a message on each of those but I I want to do another message this morning kind of a a preliminary message to help prepare us for this as well and so I want you to turn over to John chapter 15 John chapter 15 one of the hardest things for a preacher is not writing the message it's deciding what to preach on uh one of the things I probably spend most of my time on is saying okay what am I going to preach on and then once I've decided that uh the word of God just kind of flows and comes together and and so sometimes you you just really it's really easy

you know exactly what you're going to preach on and other times it's like you got nothing I I mean you're just sitting there you got nothing and and so I thought well if I've got nothing maybe I'll preach on nothing and and so that's what the message is going to be about today it's going to be about nothing now I I gave a riddle out if you get the church email uh if you don't either we got your wrong address or are or we're going right to junk or something or you're not checking your email but I sent out an email on Friday and in there I had a riddle and see if you can figure out this riddle and that is what is worth nothing but can have that but can make anything worth more if put in the

right place what is worth nothing but can make anything worth more if put in the right place now Mrs Harvest has already got it right a couple of people yes kindness and time and some other things those were wrong anybody else you think they know the answer to that riddle all right Jennifer no ah brother Dennis the number zero okay I got a card for you Alex would you run that card over for me got a Starbucks card for the number zero and uh downstairs you were supposed to be guessing as well I think brother John's got a card for you as well uh if you want to get the card you got to answer the question ahead of time so email or text me is fine I got a bunch of text and emails which were all

wrong and uh but a zero you see today what I want to do is I want to talk about the zero last week we talked about making your life count so today I'm going to preach about how your life is worth nothing you say well how can I make my life count if I'm nothing if I'm just a zero well nothing is something only when it is in the right place let me say that again nothing is something only when it is in the right place look at John 15 look at vers verse number five there he says I am the vine and ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can be nothing without me you can do nothing see you without Jesus Christ we are just a zero

and in fact we are we are nothing in Pro in Psalms chapter 144: 3 and 4 it says Lord excuse me I'm trying to get over this cough folks I Promise You Lord what is a man that thou what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him man is like to vanity his days are as a shadow that passes away the word vanity is basically like a a bubble that is popped uh he is like nothing he's like vanity whose Shadows just passed away and you and I are a zero with the art rubbed out we are just a zero with the OT rubbed out mean we're nothing in and of ourselves now we like to think that we're something people are saying well I'm something in Galatians chapter 6

and: 3 it says for if a man think himself be something when he is nothing he deceives himself you see we think we have value but without God we are nothing it is only God that makes us something in Romans 12 and verse number three it says for I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly according as God had dealt to every man The Measure of Faith so we're not to think of ourselves as being something outside of what God has given us the value that God gives us without God we are nothing now where we place our life determines if we count for anything in Matthew 6:33 it says seek ye first the

kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you when we put God first in our lives that's when we count for something in mark 12: 29-30 it says and Jesus answered him the first of all the Commandments is here o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy mind and with all thy strength this is the first commandment you see a zero by itself has no value if I write a zero on a piece of paper it's nothing it has no value I I get nothing from it a zero by itself has no value but a zero in the right place has value see if I put the zero before the one does that give the any change the

value of the one at all if you put the zero in front of the one it doesn't change the one's value but if I put the zero after the one if I put the one first now the zero has value and the the value of the zero is where it's placed in relationship to the one one and you and I we're nothing unless we place our lives in the right place we put our lives in the right place in relationship to God if we put ourselves first we have no value we're a zero but if we put God first in our lives then we have value and so your value is based upon where you put your life now not only that but in Mark 12 it says that the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with

all thy soul with all thy mind with all th strength this is the first commandment and then verse 31 says this and the second is like it namely this Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself there is none other commandment greater than these you see we to love God put God first and that's what gives us value and then as we put others second and ourselves last our value increases you see if I put a one in front of a zero how much value is that what is that number one in front of a zero gives me 10 you guys come on you got to be better at math than this a one in front of a zero gives me 10 okay now if I say not only I put God first in my life but I'm also going to put others first if I put

somebody else ahead of myself now what's the value a one with two zeros what's the value 100 if I put two people ahead of myself now my value is a th000 you see the more I put God first and other second myself last pass that's where my value increases but when I put myself first my value decreases until it's nothing and so our value is based upon putting others first and ourselves last put God first other second ourselves last look at Luke chapter 22 if you'll turn over there Luke chapter 22 and look at verses 24 through 26 Luke chapter 22 and beginning with verse number 24 Luke 22:24 and there was also a Strife among them which of them should be accounted the greatest and he said unto them

the kingdom of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon those them are called benefactors but you should not be so but he that is greatest among you let him be as the younger and he that is Chief as he that does serve you see if you put yourself first you have no value but when you put God first others second yourself last then you have value and so our value comes in putting God first and others second and ourselves last see all the glory belongs to the one if I were to say I'm going to write you a check and on that check I put a zero would you be real excited I wrote your name and wrote your check out and wrote the number z letter zero on there would

you be excited about that what if I put two zeros on that check would you be excited if I put two zeros on that check what about three zeros what about four what about five but then with those five zeros if I put a one in front of it would you get excited oh yeah that's when you get excited why because the glory belongs to the one the zeros they have no value it's the one that gives the Zero's value and God is the one who strengthens us in Philippians chap 4:13 I can do all things through Christ would strengthen me God as the one in my life as a zero gives me value he strengthens me and then where two or three are gathered together that increases the value in God remember in Matthew chapter

18 we talked about where two or three gathered together there I am in their presence when God when we're gathered together in God's presence then we have value remember the illustration from last week I had two jars and both the jars were full of coins but one jar had uh $618 and the other jar had $124 182 same size jars same fullness of coins but the value was different because of the value of the coins in the jar in one jar there was more quarters and dimes and nickels than there were pennies the other jars were pennies and nickels and dimes than there were quarters and the value increases as we come together but only as we come together in the Lord by ourselves we're nothing but in God

the glory belongs to him because he strengthens he's like putting a one in front of of all those zeros on that checkbook that's where the value is and when you put God first in your life and other second in yourself last you become more than nothing you become something you become a value and the more you put God first another second yourself last the more value you have see the first point is this and that is excuse me that is nothing is something only when it is in the right place now my second point is this and that nothing changes nothing unless it is in the right place nothing changes nothing unless it is in the right place acts 4 and verse number 13 now when they saw the boldness of

Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marveled and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus see they were in the right place they were they had been with Jesus and that's what gave these unlearned and ignorant men value see we add nothing to God in Acts 17: 24 and 25 it says that God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worship with man's hands as though he needed anything seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things you and I sometimes we think well God needs me God this church needs me and I and I bring all this great value to this

church we add nothing to God now you're you're great mathematicians now right so let's do a math problem here 1 + 0 equals 1 the zero doesn't change the value God plus you doesn't increase God's value it doesn't change God's value we add nothing to God and we need to understand that there's nothing that we can do to be saved in Ephesians 28:9 it says for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it's the gift of God not of Works amen should boast God doesn't need your good works God doesn't need your religion God doesn't need your rituals God doesn't need your righteousness God doesn't need any of that he has already provided all this needed for salvation through Jesus

Christ it's not Jesus plus baptism it's not Jesus plus good work it is Jesus that is the one that saves us and we can add nothing to our Salvation only one is who can there's only one who can save us and that's Jesus Christ acts 4 and verse number 12 neither is there salvation any other for there's none of the name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and so there's only one that can save you and that's Jesus Christ without Jesus Christ you have nothing that God needs or wants it's only in Christ that you have salvation it's only in Christ that you and I have value we add nothing to God but let's do another math problem 1 + 0 equals 1 what is 1 minus Z equal one you see we

take nothing away from God go over to Psalms chapter 50 if you would Psalms chapter 50 Psalms chapter 50 and beginning with verse number 8 Psalms chapter 50 and beginning with verse number 8 God says I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or the burnt offerings that have been continually before me but I will take no bulock out of thy house nor heos out of thy folds for every beast of the forest is mine the cattle Upon A Thousand Hills I know all the fowls of the mountain and the wild beast of field of mine if I were hungry I would not tell thee For The World Is Mine the fullness thereof will I eat the Flesh of bowls or drink the blood of goats offer unto God Thanksgiving and pay thy vows

onto the most high and call upon me in the day trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shal glorify me God said I don't need your sacrifices I don't need your offerings I own the cattle on a thousand hills I I don't need what you have to bring to me you see we need to understand that we take nothing away from God God doesn't need our sacrifices we need to sacrifice now God said I'm not going to complain because you need to bring your sacrifice but not for my sake you're not buying me off you're not giving me something I need sacrific is for your sake God doesn't need your check in the offering but you do you do you see we take nothing away from God we add nothing to God we take nothing away

from from God and then thirdly our times are nothing without God what's 1 time zero zero our times are nothing without God James CH 4:14 whereas you know not what shall be on the tomorrow for what is your life it is even a vapor that appear for a little time and then vanishes away your life is here and gone your time does not affect the world it doesn't change history you and I our our times are nothing without God go over to Proverbs chapter 9 The Book of Proverbs chapter 9 and look at verses 10 and 11 Proverbs chapter 9 in verses 10- 11 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holly's understanding for by me thy days shall be multiplied and the years of thy

life shall be increased if you want your life to be multiplied if if you want your life to be increased if you want your life to count it's only by God because your life is the zero and it's only God that gives you value and and we need to realize that our responsibilities to number our days in Psalms 90:2 it says so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom I want my time I want my days I want my life to count for God that I need to number those days so every day I live my life to count for him by putting God first in my life in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse number 16 it says Redeeming the time because the days are evil we only have so much time in this earth and

when you die all of that time is going to be is be represented by a single dash on a gravestone you and I our times are as nothing and only the time that we live for God only the time that I put God first in my life is going to have value is going to count because it's only God that gives me value now let me ask you another question 1 + 0 equals 1 - 0 equals come on all together 1 - 0 equals 1 * 0 equals 1 divided 0 equals it's not possible you can't divide one by zero in Matthew 6: 24 it says no man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and mmon you see you can't live a life that is

divided you can't live a life that's going to count for God where you're living for yourself and for the world during the week and then you're trying to live for God on Sunday it just doesn't work that way you got to either choose to live for God or you got to choose to live for the world you got to choose to live for God or you got to choose to live for yourself and if you want to live for yourself the best way to do that is give your yourself value by putting God first that's the only way you have value see a kingdom divided cannot stand and you cannot divide your life between serving God and serving the world see if you do nothing then nothing will happen and Esther 4:14 it says for if

thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall their enlargement Deliverance arise to the Jews from another place but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed and who knoweth whether thou are come to the kingdom for such a time as this you see because our lives are nothing without God if we do nothing God can just say okay you're nothing and go find another nothing and make the value that he wants people have often said to as Pastor look what a great work you've done here in Hawaii listen folks I haven't done a great work in Hawaii God's done a great thing here in Hawaii I just had the privilege of being the zero that was in his equation and if I had not been that zero that

was in his equation God would have found another zero to do what he wanted to do and I would be the one missing out not God because I don't add any value outside of God God's the one that adds value to my life and if you do nothing then your life isn't going to count for nothing cuz God going to find another nothing to do what he needs to do and so you need to make sure your life counts for God go over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 so far we we've done some pretty basic simple math and I've been kind of worried because most of you haven't been able to answer the question 1 plus 0 equal one and and one time minus 0 one only a few of you have gotten that answer right

and if you can't do basic math what are you going to do in algebra you remember when you went from basic math you know additions subtraction multiplication division remember when you move from there into algebra and they started throwing all these new things at you like the letter X letter X isn't a number it's a letter but they got it there in the equation and the X stands for the unknown number doesn't it this is called The X Factor it's the unknown what is 2x we don't know what x is so we got to do a whole algebraic math problem to figure out what the value of x is if 2x equals 10 then the value of x is oh good job we got a few algebra here all right so we don't know the value of x what

is The X Factor in your life look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 beginning with verse number two we give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our prayers remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our father knowing Brethren beloved your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and the Holy Ghost and much Assurance as you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake and you became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much Affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost so that you are examples to all that believe in

Macedonia ca for from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only m Macedonia and aaia but also in every place your faith the god word is spread abroad so that we need not to speak anything for they themselves show us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how you turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for a son from Heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the Wrath to come see here was a church that had that ex Factor here was a church that that got on fire for God and the Holy Spirit began working in their lives and and all all of a sudden they put God first in their lives and all of a sudden they were their their

value was increasing over and over and over again because of that X Factor and folks it's the X Factor in your life it's the holy spirit in your life that really increases your value and you and I need the Holy Spirit working in and through our lives to increase that value of x that unknown value so the first question is this nothing is something only when it is in the right place the second Point nothing changes nothing unless it is in the right place now here's the third point where is the point of your life where is the point of your life in Galatians Chapter 2 and verse number 20 it says I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I

now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me in Philippians 1: 121 Paul said for me to live is Christ the die is gain what is the the point of your life now in a math problem where you put that little dot can change things can't it where you put that little dot will change the value of everything you can have a one with three zeros and where you put the dot will decide whether or not it's a 10 10 a one a 10 or a thousand 100 or a thousand where you put that decimal point where you put that dot changes the value of that number and I believe that in every Christian's life what changes our value is when we have a a a a point in our life of

decision making first of all I believe it's the point of Salvation go over to Ephesians chapter 1 Ephesians chapter 1 I wonder can you look back in your life and somewhere in your life can you see a point a day a time and a place where you got saved where you trusted Jesus Christ where you called upon him as your savior there needs to be a point of Salvation my point was as a 14-year-old boy I bowed my head and my heart to Jesus said Lord Jesus save me a sinner in Ephesians chapter 1 and beginning with verse number 12 it says that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ in whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of Truth the the gospel of your

salvation whom also after that you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the Redemption of the personal possession on the praise of his glory is that point in time when you bowed your head and you bowed your heart and said Lord Jesus I'm a sinner I don't deserve to go to heaven and you called upon him as your savior see in Romans chap 10: 9 10 it say that if thou shal confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and Shall Believe in thine heart that God has raised from the dead Thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Romans 10:13 for whosoever shall

call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved you see you have to have that point where you believed in Jesus Christ you believed that he died was buried and rose again you believe that he was your only hope of Salvation that you could not work your way into heaven and you believe that you needed him to save you and to give you that eternal life and you called upon him and asked him to save you you see it's that decimal point that point that changes your life that point of Salvation it's that decimal point that you can take to the bank in 2 Timothy 1:12 for the which cause also suffer these things nevertheless I'm not ashamed for I know whom I believed and am persuaded that he's able to keep

that which I have committed unto him against that day I've taken my soul to the bank of heaven and given it to Jesus Christ and said I trust you to keep this safe for all eternity have you done that in 1 John 5: 12- 13 it says he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life let me ask you a question how many of you in this room how many of you at some point this past week deposited some money in an account at the bank whether it's online or person or wherever you deposit money raise your hand some point this week you deposit money in the

bank okay are you worried about it did you walk out of the bank say man I hope it's there tomorrow man I hope when I write this check it's going to be there I hope when I put my little card in the machine it'll be there you trust in the bank now we all know banks have failed but we still trust them God has never failed and we can certainly trust him you can trust God with your salvation you don't have to walk out today saying I don't know if I'm going to heaven because God said you can know but there needs to be a point of Salvation a place in your life that this is when I trusted Jesus Christ there also needs to be a point of dedication in Romans 12: 1 and 2 it says I beseech you therefore

Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your body as a Living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto him which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God I can look back in my life and I remember as a 14-year-old boy bow my head in heart and say Lord Jesus saved me a sinner but I also remember later on as a young single man in military when I bowed my heart and said Lord I want you to be the Lord of my life I want to give you my life to live for you those are two different choices you may have chosen to be saved but you haven't given your life to God

and I believe every Christian needs to have that point it's like the day I got married that was a decimal point that changed my life the day I joined the military it was a decimal point that changed my life the day I gave my life to God was a decimal point that changed my life do you have a point in time like that when You' given your life to God now as a married man I can't just rely on that wedding day many years ago every day I have to give up and renew that commitment you're in the military every day you have to renew that commitment with the military and keep that promise the same thing is true with God but I believe there ought to be a point of dedication where you put your life

determines what it counts for in John chapter 6 and verse number 63 it says it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life you see the value of our life depends on where we put our life where we place our life and today where have you put your life will determine the value of your life go over to Psalms chapter 26 Psalms chapter 26 just a few verses we'll close Psalms chapter 26 look at verses 6-8 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I Compass thine altar O Lord that I may publish with the voice of Thanksgiving and tell of th all thy wondrous Works Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and thy

place where thou thy heart where thy honor dwelleth another point you need to establish in your life is a compass point a compass point now you know what I'm talking about there right a compass point was what used back and I think you it was introduced sometime around junior high or so the little divided thing had a point on one side and the other side little pencil and you learned how to put that point down and then you could use it to draw a circle around that point and that's what the Bible means here when it says that uh so will I Compass thine altar O Lord you see I'm going to put your altar at the center of my life and I believe if you want your life to have value that you need to put

God at the center of your life and everything you do needs to revolve around him as the center point of your life see folks today you've got a choice you can be good for nothing or you can be good for nothing or you can be good for nothing now you can be good for nothing in that all the good you do will be for nothing no matter how good you are if you're not saved you're going to go to hell because it's not of work you can go to church you can read your Bible you can give money to the poor you can do all kinds of good deeds but no matter how good you are it is for nothing without Jesus Christ you can be good for nothing or you can be good for nothing in other words you're going to be good

whether you get anything or not and I think that's a good decision to make because we need to be good whether we get anything or not we need to be good because of the goodness of God or you can be good for nothing there's a lot of Christians that are good for nothing that God can't use them because they put their life first over God and their life is worth nothing because of where they placed it they haven't put God first in their life so what are you going to do are you going to be nothing the rest of your life you say Pastor that's not very nice to say somebody's nothing but nothing can be worth a lot when you put it in the right place when you put God first in your life you have great value and when you put others second yourself last you can just keep increasing that value As you move down the line and adding those other zeros it just increases your value and the more you serve others the more value you have as long as you keep God first in your life