Excellence Builds Character
When we get saved, when we become a follower of Christ, our Spirit is made new. It is a new creation – the old things are gone, and all things are new.
Two other parts of us that don’t change just because we are saved:
Our flesh
Our soul (mind, intellect)
How do we get our mind change, in the same way that our spirit has? By the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:1-2).
We are spirit, soul, and body
If we have a decision to make, and the spirit says “go this way”, and the flesh says “go that way” – the mind (or soul) makes the final decision. There is a democracy happening inside of us at every decision and choice that we have to make. The result of our choices is directly reflective of the “party” that is in control – just like politics…
The spirit of excellence is when the Spirit is in dominance, not the flesh.
The opposite of excellence is mediocre, which is defined as halfway, or even below half. We have already established in this class that God is not mediocre – He is not halfway. God is a god of Excellence.
God’s very name is Excellent – Ps. 8:1.
The nature of God can be found in the names of God:
El-Olam: The Everlasting God
El Shaddai: The God Who Is Sufficient For The Needs Of His People
Jehovah-Elohim: The Eternal Creator
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord our Provider
Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord our Banner
Jehovah-Ropheka: The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness
How do we know He is our healer? Because His very name says He is the God that healeth thee.
How do we know He is our provider? Because His very name says He is the God that provides for all of your needs.
We can get the nature of God from the names of God – Prince of Peace, the Peace-giver…
If we are going to conform to the image of God, we need to understand what that image is. What would God do in this situation? How would God act in this situation, or react? If we react and respond the way He would, then we are conforming to His image. If we react or respond differently than He would, how are we conforming to His image?
If we are doing something that is mediocre, we are allowing our flesh to dominate.
When we operate in excellence, not only are we conforming to the image of Christ, but excellence is also part of character development.
While charisma or favor may get us where we are, or want to be – it is character that will keep us there. One of the building blocks of character is excellence.
The Bible teaches that we are to be IN this world, not OF this world. If we act, think, talk, and walk the way that the WORLD does – then we have a PROBLEM.
If the world does not see God in us, that is a problem. It affects our ability to witness to them. If the world cannot see Jesus in us, we are not conforming to His image.
REMEMBER: The measure of God, the Glory of God in what we are doing is in direct proportion to the excellence that we do it in. If we do something mediocre, sloppy, the world is not seeing Jesus at all. When we do things in excellence, we stand out.
Men and women of excellence stand out in a crowd because there are so few of them.
We have to be different than the world – we must be men and women of excellence. We must CATCH the spirit of excellence, because it is CAUGHT, not TAUGHT. When we catch the spirit of excellence, God is able to put us in higher places, before men and kings. They will take notice, because there is something different about us.
How do we catch the spirit of excellence? We must pursue it, just like anything from God.
How do you get the Promised Land? God has given it, but we must pursue and possess it. Until we possess it, we don’t have it.
How do you receive health and healing? Jesus is not coming down from heaven to take a few more stripes for you – He already did His part. We must pursue and receive the healing that has already been given to us.
What about finances? The promised land has already been given. We are no longer under the curse of poverty any more. We must pursue and possess it.
The battle between spirit and flesh is the same battle between excellence and mediocrity. We must pursue excellence. Excellence is the refining fire that builds character.
Romans 8:1-9
1 THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.
dictates = controlled by, who are we controlled by?
No condemnation when we walk by the Spirit – there is condemnation when we walk by the flesh.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3 For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],
4 So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].
5 For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
6 Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].
7 [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.
8 So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.
9 But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you [directs and controls you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God].
Excellence = going above and beyond, even when we don’t feel like it / Making sure everything is done to the best of our ability, even when we don’t want to, or nobody will give us credit
Excellence = doing things when you don’t feel like doing them
Excellence = getting there early when you don’t feel like getting there early
Excellence = staying in the back, behind the scenes, when you wish you were getting some attention and credit
Excellence = doing it as unto the Lord
It doesn’t matter if you do LESS – as long as you do it with EXCELLENCE! God’s presence is in direct proportion to the EXCELLENCE you operate in.
Excellence is not perfection, nor is it based on talent or ability. It is based on doing what you are doing to the best of YOUR ability, using the gifts, talents, skills, and abilities that God has given you!!!
Excellence is at attitude, a condition of the heart. God looks at the heart long before He looks at the act itself. God is focused and concerned with our hearts. The Bible tells us that “God loves a CHEERFUL giver”, He is more concerned with the attitude, and looks for that before He looks at what was given. He cares about the cheerfulness of your heart before He cares about your seed.
We must hunger for excellence before we will ever catch it! we must go after it with everything that we’ve got. It will cause you to stand out in church, in a ministry, in your job, in everything that you do! God will CAUSE YOU to stand out!
Excellence has to be something that you want, that you decide that you will go after. Someone can’t give it to you, or make you do it. You must do it on your own!
How do we stop catering to the appetites and impulses of the flesh, of the carnal nature? verse 8 above
What will cause you to inherit the promises of God?
What will cause you to walk in divine health?
What will cause you to walk in propsperity?
What will cause you to when you have done all, to continue to stand?
What will cause you to walk in excellence?
What will cause you to pursue the things of God?
What will cause you to have your spirit totally dominate your flesh in every single area?
DISCIPLINE
Discipline is a building block of character. You cannot have Godly character without discipline. Paul talks about how he disciplines his body in 1 Cor 9:27:
27 But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
Learning to control the flesh is discipline, discipline to dominate our flesh. That will help us in every area of our life!
There is a battle going on between our spirit and our flesh, and only our spirit is made new when we get saved. It’s a democracy, and just like politics, the ruling party usually gets their way. We have to make sure that our spirit is able to dominate and becomes that ruling party.
When we operate in excellence, our spirit is in dominance. When we operate in mediocrity, our flesh is in dominance.
We must discipline our flesh so that our spirit can be in dominance. This is a daily requirement and journey.
