This sermon is going to discuss the word Excellence and what it really means to be Excellent in Abba Yah/The Lord God Almighty and how to apply excellence to our lives.
Philippians 1:9-10
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
In the Greek excellent means:
that are excellent: G1308-διαφέρωdiaphérō, dee-af-er'-o; from G1223 and G5342; to bear through, i.e. (literally) transport; usually to bear apart, i.e. (objectively) to toss about (figuratively, report); subjectively, to "differ", or (by implication) surpass:—be better, carry, differ from, drive up and down, be (more) excellent, make matter, publish, be of more value.
to bear though means:
to conduct or manage
transport means:
to carry away with strong and often intensely pleasant emotion
to bear apart means:
to support or hold up: to sustain
publish means:
to make generally known
to make public announcement of
to disseminate to the public
Disseminate means:
to spread abroad as though sowing seed
We are called to approve the things that are excellent we are called to discern right from wrong, we are called to look at things that make us better and things that bring us more value in our relationship with our Creator and not the world. This is why we are to approve things that are excellent. We are called to sow Yah's Word and to become excellent teachers, preachers, Lights in order to do so. We are called to reject what is not right and to make known to all the Truth and the Real Way of Living Life. By knowing Excellence or Abba Yah we are More Valuable than Anything this World has to offer.
The Biblical outline of usage makes this clear.
to bear or carry through any place
to carry different ways
to carry in different directions, to different places
of people who are carried hither and thither in a ship, driven to and fro
to differ, to test, prove, the good things that differ,
to distinguish between good and evil, lawful and unlawful, to approve of things that excel, to differ from one
to excel, surpass one
impersonally, it makes a difference, it matters, is of importance
may approve: G1381-†δοκιμάζωdokimázō, dok-im-ad'-zo; from G1384; to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve:—allow, discern, examine, × like, (ap-)prove, try.
Biblical Outline of Usage of G1381
to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals
to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy
Again, when we are approving what is excellent, we are using our discernment, we are testing the things that matter, that make a difference and is important to Abba Yah's Kingdom and our Relationship with Him. We are told to try every spirit to see whether or not they are of Abba Yah. This is so we can make sound judgements and recognize situations and people. When we strive for excellence in our walk with Abba Yah, we are striving for a quality of life that removes us further from this world and closer to Yah's Kingdom.
Definition of Scrutinize- examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
1 John 4:1-6
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Why should we strive for excellence?
Psalm 8:4-9 reminds us why
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Abba Yah made everything for us and how we chose to utilize this world shows our true character, either Abba Yah's Character of the worlds character.
Abba Yah made man a little lower than the angels and crowned man with His Glory and Honor. Our Excellence should be a Reflection of Yah. We were made in His Image.
Excellent in Hebrew means: H117-אַדִּירʼaddîyr, ad-deer'; from H142; wide or (generally) large; figuratively, powerful:—excellent, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly, lordly, mighty(-ier one), noble, principal, worthy.
Biblical Outline of Usage of H117
great, majestic
of waters of sea
of a tree
of kings, nations, gods
great one, majestic one
of nobles, chieftains, servants
Being noble means:
having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire.
Principle Means:
a rule or belief governing one's personal behavior.
a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
morally correct behavior and attitudes.
As we have been learning about the serpent seed doctrine, the subtle changes and lies of this world by gadreel/satan, we can see or should be able to see the difference between Abba Yah's Excellence and what the world defines as excellence. This is done by the moral behaviors and conduct of today's society. This is why we must remember we are not of this world but of Abba Yah's Kingdom sent out into the world to be the Light to the lost sheep. Therefore, we must learn what Yah considers excellent verse what the world considers excellent.
John 15:19
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
The Biblical view of Excellence is:
Nothing less than the Character of Abba Yah
Character is defined as:
A person's usual Qualities or Traits
Representation or Portrayal
A Person's Reputation
Moral Excellence and Firmness
2. God's Morals Values and Ethics = Righteousness
3. Excellence involves Values and Standards
What are the Characteristics of God?
Goodness (Exodus 34:6)
Love (1John 4:10)
Faithfulness ( 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Trustworthy (Psalm 19:7)
Truthful (John 17:17)
Holy (Isaiah 57:15)
Righteous (Psalm 11:7)
Upright (Psalm 92:15)
Fair (Psalm 25:8-4)
Compassionate (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Merciful (Titus 3:5)
Kind (Ephesians 4:32)
Kindhearted (1 Peter 3:8)
Forgiving (Matthew 6:14-15)
Patient (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Longsuffering (2 Peter 3:9)
Values all life (Psalm 139:13)
Slow to Anger (Exodus 34:6)
Never Changes (Malachi 3:6)
Gracious (Psalm 113)
Do your characteristics reflect Abba Yah? Or does your characteristics of what the world states is Excellence reflect you?
The Worlds View of Excellence
High paying jobs for wealth and security
Luxury cars
Expensive trips
College educations
Lavish parties
Expensive houses
Children never home because they are kept so busy doing extra activities that they have the world as a parent
Accepting that Social Deviance is just the way the world is now
Lawyers on Call 24/7 to be bailed out of situations due to social deviant behavior
Multiple wives/spouses due to lack of respect and moral value to marriage
Lavish clothing
Prostitutes and call girls
Private jets
Real-estate
Hate
Greed
Malice
Envy
Pride
These are the things the world considers to be of an excellent person. The role models of today's standards are what defines excellence in the world around us, and Not Abba Yah. It seems that if you are not striving for riches, then you are failing in life. If you're not striving to be the best in your field, then you are a failure, or if you are not striving to deliver the best line of products to beat out the rest then you lack excellence or superiority.
The world has replaced morals, with products, values with pride, and using discernment with being an out cast. We know good is called evil and evil is called good, but have you asked yourself why?
1 John 2:15-16
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Webster defines Excellent as
Definition of excellent
1: very good of its kind : eminently good : FIRST-CLASS 2archaic : SUPERIOR
This definition of Merrium Webster is how the world defines excellence. You cannot be excellent without Abba Yah and His Morals Values and Ethics.
What do you base your life on? Is it What Abba Yah calls Excellent or is it what the world shows you? Meaning the latest fad, celebrity, whatever is depicted in the latest Lifestyle Magazine, or what your government tells you. It's time to ask yourself where your morals, values and ethics come from.
Excellence is not about how well you make and distribute things or how great you are at making money, nor is it about the talent you use to accomplish your goals. Excellence about the character you display while living life. If you are not living life to Glorify Abba Yah, then all the riches of this world will never mean a thing, because your soul is already lost to the lies and deceit of the way this world is now.
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