Playlist - wk3 - Something Just Like This

I hope you have all been enjoying this series where we are finding God’s truth in popular songs, claiming them for God so that the next time we hear one of these songs we will be reminded of God’s love for us.

Two weeks ago, we started this series with the song “Million Reasons” where we thought about the way the adversary will give us millions of reasons to give up. The enemy loves to make us feel overwhelmed and convince us that we will always fail, but God wants us to never give up. We recognized that all we need is one good reason to stay the course. Our God is so good that He even gave us the one great, wonderful, undying, loving reason we will ever need… Jesus.

Last week we listened to a song called “Brave.” The lyrics to that song talk about how words are powerful and can be used as a weapon or as healing medicine. God said the same thing about words, and His desire is for us to spread Jesus’ healing love all over the world. We just need to be brave with the truth and speak life.

Today’s song is a little bit ironic for me. I don’t know how long I just sat and stared at my computer trying to come up with a way to introduce this song. I would think of some way to start talking about it and then start over. “No, no, no. That’s not good enough.” Then it finally hit me, I am doing exactly what we are going to talk about. Trying to reach a high standard that I’ve created for myself and consistently failing.

Have you ever done that? Have you ever made yourself feel like you weren’t enough at work, at home, for someone else, or for a certain group of people? “I am just a horrible husband/wife/mom/dad/employee/Christian.” I consistently set high standards for myself that I am often unable to live up to.

Apparently I even do it without realizing it. Chris calls me out on it by singing, “I need a hero!” I guess deep inside I have a desire to be a hero by shattering records and blowing away people’s expectations. Maybe even impress you a little bit. If I have any control over expectations, my brain tells me to set the bar as low as possible and then wow you with my abilities. My old roommate told me once that he is the same way and he calls it “under promising and over performing.”

For me, it isn’t even about being famous or really even being the best at something. For me it’s the desire to be regarded highly, or at least to NOT be thought of as a failure, not good enough, or in some cases ordinary. You could say that it’s not about my name making it to the town water tower, but keeping it out of the newspaper. All the greats go to the water tower and the bad things hit the papers.

I don’t know how common that trait is, but if any of it resonates with you, God wants you to hear today’s song. Today’s song is called, “Something Just Like This.” We will talk more about the lyrics after we listen to the song, but the general message of the song is about how the author reads about all of these different heroes and realizes that he is nothing like any of them. He set his own standards higher than he is able to reach.

Then his love interest tells him that she isn’t interested in a superhero. She just wants someone who will be there for her. Let’s listen to the song and then we will take a look at how this song applies to the kind of people God wants us to be…

Play song “Something Just Like This”

The cool beats make this song easy to get into and sing along with, but it also resonates with us on a deeper level because the lyrics speak to something we believe about ourselves. We all want to believe that there is someone who loves us for who we are, or that they want “something just like this,” someone just like us. In other words, if everyone expects me to be something I will never be able to be, like a superhero, I just want someone who will appreciate me for who I am.

That desire to be accepted the way we are often compels us to be smarter, funnier, cuter, more outgoing, more quiet, and so on. I want to be accepted the way that I am, but it doesn’t seem to be happening so maybe if I was just a little bit more of this and that. We really want someone to believe in us. Here are the lyrics from the song…

I've been reading books of old, The legends and the myths, Achilles and his gold, Hercules and his gifts, Spiderman's control, And Batman with his fists, And clearly I don't see myself upon that list. But she said, where'd you wanna go? How much you wanna risk? I'm not looking for somebody, With some superhuman gifts, Some superhero, Some fairytale bliss, Just something I can turn to, Somebody I can kiss, I want something just like this.

We just want someone to believe in us. Part of the reason we want someone to believe in us is because, often, we don’t believe in ourselves. We don’t believe in ourselves because we don’t realize how much God believes in us. Just like the guy in the song, you may read stories about superheros, successful people, cool people, or people on water towers and then look at yourself and see all that you are not.

When God looks at you, He sees all that you are. He wants something just like you. In Psalm 139, David praised God for making him just exactly the way God wanted him, and then never leaving him…

Psalm 139:13–14 NIV

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

When writing to the Ephesians, Paul added to this thought. He essentially said that, not only did God create us the way He desired, but He made us a new creation in Christ…

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

This topic makes me think of the joke about the middle-aged woman who wasn’t the person she wanted to be, until she saw an opportunity to change…

One day, this middle-aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While she was on the operating table she had a near death experience. During this experience, she saw God and asked Him, “Is this it?” God told her, “No, you actually have another 30 years to live.”

Now that she has recovered, she decides to stay in the hospital a little longer. She wants to make the most of the next 30 years and be the person she wants to be. So she gets a face lift, liposuction, a tummy tuck, and a few other “improvements.” She even has someone come in and change her hair color the day before she leaves the hospital.

The next day she walks out of the hospital and heads to her car a new person. As she steps off the curb she is hit by a speeding ambulance and killed. She arrives in front of God and complains, “I thought you said I had another 30 years.”

God replies, “I didn’t recognize you!”

If you are taking notes, our thought for today is this…

YOU MAY NOT BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE, BUT BECAUSE OF CHRIST YOU’RE EXACTLY WHO GOD NEEDS YOU TO BE.

You may not be the man, the woman, the smartest, the most wealthy, the powerful, the superhero who you want to be, but because of Christ you are exactly who God needs you to be. I love Paul’s words about God’s wisdom. To God, the wisdom of the world is foolish. He said that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. If you feel ordinary, not very smart, not successful, or not very strong, listen to this powerful statement Paul makes…

1 Corinthians 1:26–28 NLT

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

While everyone was running around trying to be like superheros, powerful leader, wealthy, and wise, God looked past all of them to the “foolish” people. The powerless, despised, and the “nothings” of the world and said, “I want something just like this!”

Hebrews chapter 11 lists a whole bunch of people from the Old Testament and honors them for their faith. Have you ever just examined that list of names and thought about them for a moment. For example, when you get to Noah he is noted for having faith and building a large boat to save his family from something that had never happened before. That makes sense, but when you think about it he also got drunk and passed out in front of his kids.

Then Abraham. He had faith, but din’t he also lie about his relationship with his wife in order to save himself? Moses. Sure Moses had faith, but he also murdered someone! David makes the list, but he commited adultery and then tried to cover it up by having someone killed. Shouldn’t honored heroes of the bible be honorable?

Or what if they weren’t heroes? What if they were just regular, flawed people, just like me? Prone to make mistakes, not live up to a standard, and fail. The Bible honors them for their faith, not for their perfection. In other words, they needed God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness just as much as I do. One bible study puts it this way…

FAITH IN CHRIST MAKES EXTRAORDINARY HEROES OUT OF ORDINARY PEOPLE.

Imagine what it might have felt like for those ordinary people to be used for extraordinary things. Abraham. Just an ordinary guy, but God made promises to him and used him for extraordinary things. Sometimes he laughs at the thought of God actually fulfilling some of the promises, and he lets fear and doubt talk him out of patience, but despite all of that God still used him!

As Moses stood in front of the dry path across the Red Sea, what might have gone through his mind? Did he pause and think about this wonderful moment where God used him to part the sea and lead the people? Was he filled with awe and wonder?

Imagine what David must have felt like. In his family, he was the least. Nobody expected him to be considered to lead a nation, but God chose him. He knows his sin and shame, but God still used him for great things. So ordinary, so many mistakes, so sinful.

You may not be who you want to be, but because of Christ you are exactly who God needs you to be. Right about now, some of you might be thinking, “Am I ordinary? I graduated top of my class, voted most likely to succeed, run a successful business, have a couple thousand followers on Facebook and my last post had hundreds of likes.” If that’s you, I’ll tell you the same thing Pastor Craig Groeschel used to say all the time. Don’t worry, God can still use you, He just specializes in using those who are ordinary.

For the last few minutes of our time together, I want to talk about how we position ourselves to be used by God.

HOW DO WE POSITION OURSELVES TO BE USED BY GOD?

If God isn’t looking for a superhero, but an ordinary person, how am I going to be useful? You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be well educated. You don’t have to have your name on the water tower or have four thousand Facebook friends. You don’t have to be a preacher. You don’t even have to have every book in the Bible memorized in order. You just need to do two things…

BE AVAILABLE

BE OBEDIENT

That’s it. Be available and be obedient. It’s that simple. Because of Christ, you are exactly who God needs you to be. You only need to make yourself available to hear His call, then obedient to answer. One of the most well known passages in scripture about obedience is in Isaiah 6:8. In passage, Isaiah describes a vision he had where he saw God sitting on a lofty throne. He saw seraphim with six wings, two covering their faces, two covering their feet, and the other two for flying. They were singing praises to God and their voices shook the Temple.

Isaiah thought he was doomed. A sinful man in the presence of God. No way he’s getting out of this one! Then one of the seraphim flew to him and touched his lips with a burning coal, removing his guilt and forgiving his sins. Just like Jesus cleanses us. Because of Jesus, we are exactly who God needs us to be. Because of God’s forgiveness and purification, in his vision, Isaiah is exactly who God needs him to be…

Isaiah 6:8 NIV

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

In a devotional book called, “Extreme Devotion” there is a powerful story about a man who made himself available and obedient to God in many ways. So much so that it landed him in prison, where he continued to make himself available. It was in prison that he made himself available and obedient with a seemingly small action.

His name was Milan Haimovici, and he was in a cold, dark prison cell crowded with Romanian Christians who were determined to bring the light of Jesus into the darkness. One day, Milan was talking to another cell mate who was a great scientist but a godless man. Even though Milan was just an ordinary man and not on the same intellectual level as the professor, he told the scientist about Jesus.

The professor responded, “You are such a liar. Jesus lived two thousand years ago. How can you say that you walk and talk with him?”

Milan answered, “It is true that he died two thousand years ago, but he is also resurrected and is living even now.”

The professor challenged him, “Well, you say that he talks with you. What is the expression on his face?”

Milan replied, “Sometimes he smiles at me.”

“Such a lie,” the professor laughed. “Show me how he smiles.” Milan was skin and bones, with dark circles around his eyes. He was missing teeth and wearing a prisoner’s uniform. Through his dirty face a beautiful smile appeared on his lips. There was so much peace, contentment, and joy on his face. The godless professor bowed his head and admitted, “Sir, you HAVE seen Jesus.”

When you are willing to do what others won’t, God will use you to accomplish what others can’t! Available and obedient. Serve when others won’t. Give when others don’t. Reach out to someone when others run the other way. When you are available and obedient, God works through you to make a difference.

It may be taking a meal to someone who can’t get out. An invitation to someone who feels alone. Visiting someone who is struggling. Maybe it’s more personal, like choosing to forgive or saying you’re sorry. Having a cup of coffee with someone who is having a bad day. It might even be something as simple as a smile. Just be available and obedient.

You might not be exactly who you want to be, but you are exactly who God needs you to be. “Here I am, Lord! Send me!” Bottom line is this… God isn’t looking for someone with superhuman gifts, a superhero, or some fairy tale bliss… He is looking for someone available, someone obedient, someone just like you.

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