The Dark Side of Success

Sermon Series: I’m Good...Not Really 

JFBC Clay Smith 

2 Kings 5: 1-15

Demographic experts call East Cobb the power elite (they have even loftier names for Buckhead), but that doesn't mean East Cobb doesn't have issues. Ambition, to be successful in the eyes of the world. Often have to make sacrifices. Pressure to do things without a return on investment. Appearance education sports business career. Easy to succeed at the wrong things. Success is not all bad things, but…

The dark side of success makes us…

1. Deceived. We believe things that aren’t true. Naman was strong, but also struggled. Incurable disease. V 2 the girl had been captured and disappeared, but had great faith. She was not mad at Naman, who was pulling all the strings. She said it was the prophet and God who would deliver, not the powerful king. The more successful we are the more decisions we get to make, but still God is in control. Often the most successful have the most anxiety.

2. Fearful. V 6. The king knows he can’t cure leprocy. The king fears there is a plot against him. Often the successful are afraid people will discover their secrets.

From Keller’s book: Even Madonna has a fear of being mediocre. She continually has to prove to herself that she’s not.

Don’t parent out of fear or insecurity, trying to get them to be things you weren’t able to achieve. Okay to let your kids fail. Just be there to pick them up.

3. Entitled. Naman tore his clothes. Went to the prophet with all his wealth, his horses, etc. Elijah sends a messenger to tell him what to do, infuriating Naman v 10-11. Naman wanted more of a response from Elijah. He turned and went away. Sometimes the successful want things to be hard. Easy to be petty and entitled, and not thankful. Expect things instead of being grateful for them. No humility. 

A happy ending v 13. Naman followed the instructions and was healed, and recognized God because Naman humbled himself. Many of us struggle with success. 

How to redeem freedom…

1. We receive, not achieve, our identity in Christ. 

2nd Cor 12:7-10 a thorn in the flesh can keep us grounded. God’s grace is sufficient. His power is perfected in our weakness. That’s the secret to success right there.

Keller: Jesus is the only savior who if you fail him, he will still forgive you.

2. Embrace your limits as a gift. We never have enough time, but if we had more wouldn’t use it any better that we’re doing now. Our limitations force us to depend on God. We need to be weak enough to depend on God. We need to surrender to God.

Additional reading resources…

1. Strange New World, by Carl R Trueman

2. Counterfeit Gods, by Tim Keller

Former Brave BILL PECOTA his last name serves as a handy predictive baseball research backronym. Nate Silver, then writing for Baseball Prospectus, coined this highly accurate projection system twenty years ago. It was named in honor of Pecota. Silver wanted to name it after the most average player possible. Officially, PECOTA is the acronym for Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm. Pecota’s favorite memory from his playing days was when he belted a walk-off single in the bottom of a 15th inning. On 17-July-1991, Pecota plated George Brett with his extra-inning base hit to end a wild 9-8 victory, “I had a base hit up the middle and Brett scored from second.  It was pretty hilarious.  I ran to first and stopped.  Me and Lynn Jones, our first-base coach, are yelling 'Go George!  Go George! When he slid in safe, we all went wild.  We actually were jumping around a little bit.  Back in the day you never did that." Pecota is one of just six players to have played every possible position in their career without the benefit of a stunt game (playing all positions). The others are Cookie Rojas, Eduardo Escobar, Steve Lyons, Don Kelly & Jake Elmore. Heere are his career total games by position: 3B (272), SS (176), 2B (158), PH (109), PR (91), 1B (28), RF (19), LF (13), DH (10), CF (2), P (2), C (1) - total:  881.