The Power of Ambition
“Uncharted” Week 2
September 19, 2004
Drama: “Make it Happen”
You could sum up every over-the-top success seminar you’ve ever attended in a single word:
• “AMBITION”
We’re not exactly lacking for social icons who EMBODY that word, are we?
IMAG 01 – Donald Trump
There’s…
• “The Donald”
o Ambition to be rich and famous
IMAG 02 – Paris Hilton
There’s Paris –
• Not the city, the WOMAN – Paris Hilton
o Heiress to the Hilton hotel fortune
• Ambition to be a famous model, movie star
Word “ambition” so common in our society that we often couple it with adjectives to tell what KIND of ambition we mean…
• There’s NAKED ambition
• No attempt to sugar coat it or disguise it
There’s DRIVING ambition
• First thing you think of in morning…
• Last thing you think of at night
Of course DRIVING ambition…is also –
IMAG 03 – Jeff Gordon
What consumed Nascar driver Jeff Gordon this year
• After 5 years of coming up short at Daytona
IMAG 04 – Vijay Singh
“DRIVING ambition” could refer to the feeling in a GOLFER’S heart when he tees it up
• Or what Vijay Singh felt heading into this season
• After having a bellyful of TIGER WOODS year after year after year
IMAG 05 – Jason Kidd
“DRIVING ambition is what NBA star Jason Kidd has in his heart…
• When he drives for the bucket
Then there’s BURNING ambition
• A desire to succeed at something that is all-consuming
IMAG 06 – Firefighter
Of course, “BURNING ambition” can ALSO be
• Firefighter’s goal as he approaches a building that’s ablaze
Then there’s BLIND ambition
• Somebody who’s so ambitious they can’t see anything else
o Destroy others and themselves, in the process
But you wouldn’t BELIEVE what I ran across when I researched “Blind ambition” for this message!
IMAG 07 – Window Blinds
“Blind Ambition is ALSO the official name of –
• A WINDOW treatment organization
IMAG 08 – Blind Manager
“Blind Ambition” is the official name…
• Of an organization dedicated to helping blind people reach MANAGEMENT positions
IMAG 09 – Duck Blind
“Blind Ambition” is even the official name…
• Of a DUCK hunting organization
IMAG 10 – Madonna
Finally, there’s BLONDE ambition –
• So named for Madonna’s “Blond Ambition” tour
But that was several personas ago…
• As we speak, Madonna is actually in the HOLY Land –
o She was in the news yesterday because a couple of her bodyguards were arrested for roughing up several members of the press
• At least for THIS trip she’s actually using her JEWISH name, which is “Esther”
The “Material Girl” says she’s no longer CONTENT with riches, stardom and fame…
• It hasn’t brought her the FULFILLMENT and HAPPINESS she always thought it would
o Now, she’s on a search for SPIRITUAL meaning
George Bernard Shaw
• “There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart’s desire. The other is to get it.”
Understandably…
• The PRESS has been more than a little SKEPTICAL of the new Madonna
o As far as THEY’RE concerned, it’s just another promotional reinvention intended to advance the next phase of her career
Well, I, for one APPLAUD Madonna’s search
• I hope it’s sincere…
o I hope it’s NOT just another phase
God has a PROMISE for Madonna – and for every man, woman and young person in the WORLD –
• Who is willing to fix your ambition on HIM:
o Found in the BIBLE – in Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Notes:
#1 – AMBITION PRODUCES INCREDIBLE POWER
Romans 15:20
“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.”
William Adams
• “You can have anything you want – if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.”
IMAG 11 – The Columbia Seven
It takes INCREDIBLE ambition to become an astronaut…
• The Columbia Seven
o Especially knowing it can cost you your LIFE
Notes:
#2 – AMBITION HAS A PURPOSE
Philippians 3:13-14
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Why did God GIVE us the gift of ambition?
• To empower us to achieve great exploits!
Mark Twain
• Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
Bill Hybels’ dad was a successful businessman
• Wanted his son Bill to be the same…
o Story of Bill sitting at top of hotel at Rio De Janeiro at age 20 and hearing older couple saying, “Finally, we made it. This is IT. This is what it was all about.”
IMAG 12 Peter Chun
Can’t BE more ambition than Peter Chun…
• Passion for 10/40 window
o “Uncharted” goal in Afghanistan
Pearl Bailey
• “A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive. Having been alive, it won’t be so hard in the end to lie down and rest.”
Notes:
#3 – AMBITION HAS A PRICE
James 3;16
“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
God gave us the gift of ambition…
• To make us willing to pay the huge PRICE necessary to fulfill our potential
Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Without ambition one STARTS nothing. Without WORK one FINISHES nothing.”
IMAG 13 – Paul Hamm
Like every other Olympic gymnast…
• Paul Hamm paid an ENORMOUS price for YEARS, in order to earn his shot at a gold medal in Athens
o In the thrill of his life, he WON that coveted gold medal in the men’s all-around competition …
But the price he paid for that gold medal is not OVER
• Huge controversy when a scoring error cost South Korea’s Yang Tae Young the medal
o Just eight days from now, the Court of Arbitration for Sport is meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland to hear South Korea’s appeal
IMAG 14 – Miss America women on stage
For millions of young girls…
• THIS is their ultimate dream
o To win the Miss America pageant…
IMAG 15 – Miss America Winner
To be crowned Miss America
• And for one whole year to travel across the United States
o The fame…the opportunities…the lavished attention…the doors that swing wide open…
Not so long ago, that was the AMBITION of Bethel Temple’s very own Faith Samuel…
IMAG NOTE:
• FIRST Run STILL pics at 10-second intervals while she’s coming up and during first part of interview
• Then AFTER IMAG 20, go to VIDEO of Faith to end of interview
IMAG 16 – Faith 1994 Miss Harvest Homecoming
IMAG 17 – Faith Carousel
IMAG 18 – Faith Holding Flowers
IMAG 19 – Faith Crown Smile
IMAG 20 – Faith holding child
IMAG VIDEO FAITH SAMUEL
Interview with Faith Samuel
Philippians 2:3
• “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
Notes:
#4 – AMBITION CAN DELIVER AN INCREDIBLE PAYOFF
2 Timothy 4:7-8
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Let me tell you about one of my heroes…
• State basketball Champion for Bosse Bulldogs
o Purdue basketball star
• Averaged 14.8 points per game in the National Professional Basketball League
Heir to the famous Butterfield name in Evansville
• Today Bill Butterfield owns Tri-state Athletic Club…
o Could be island-hopping somewhere in the Carribbean
A man of such intelligence, drive and business skill that he could have been anything he wanted to be
• But at a crucial moment in his life, God gave him a picture of what he could do to save the lives of the unborn
o And second only to seeing his kids and grandkids become everything Jesus has created them to be…
It has become his life’s AMBITION
Today – because of what God has accomplished through Bill Butterfield and the team of people he has assembled…
• Evansville, Indiana is strongest right to life city in the nation
o The largest city in the U.S. without an abortion clinic
• Local newspaper editor, “What is UP with Bill Butterfield?”
IMAG 21 – Happy Children
Best of all – THOUSANDS of children in this tri-state owe their lives to the LORD…
• Through Bill and his team
That’s BILL’s…
• What’s YOUR ambition?
Bow heads
