Summary: This is a the first in a 6 part series on taking AIM for a Better Life using AIM as an acrostic for Authority, Initiative and Maintenance

Taking AIM for a Better Life Part 1

We’ve been talking about NEW BEGINNINGS that END WELL for the past few weeks....

And truly, we know that God is a God of "New Beginnings"

He believes in "Starting Over"

He believes in Second, Third, Fourth and many more chances.....

But we also must know that ONCE we BEGIN,.....

..... there is something MORE to be done to get to the PRIZE or the Finish....

We’ve likened this to a marathon,....of which.....

..... at the Beginning, you START TO RUN.....

......at the End....you HAVE RUN....

But all in between, you ARE RUN-NING.....

And that is where we spend MOST of our Lives......RUNNING the Race that is set before us.

....and that’s where the Real Battles of life are.....

and so its also, where life’s battles and (LIFE’S DREAMS) are won and lost.

In the last part of 1 Cor 9 ......The Apostle Paul gives us some instructions for RUNNING our race......

...... with the MAIN IDEA of WINNING and Obtaining the Prize.....

And that’s what God intends for each and every one of us......to be WINNERS IN LIFE.....

.....That we be VICTORS and NOT victims.....

.....That every Test end with a Testimony.

I heard Joyce Meyer say one time that: "Most people going through a test just end up with the monies...."

But I want you to know today that God’s Plan is for you to have a TESTIMONY.....

Turn and Tell your neighbor "Its time to get with God’s Plan"

If He’s brought you OUT from where you were....

......It’s to take you INTO Something BETTER

All you have to do is keep your complainer turned off.....your faith turned on.....

And Keep following His Lead.......

and He will, WITHOUT FAIL, lead you into VICTORY.....into the Life you really want....

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Let’s look first to verse 26 .....I therefore so run, not as uncertainly.....

.......here the AMP....... adds for clarification of the word "uncertainly" the phrase (without definite aim)......

That is really the basis for the message I want to share with you today....

about .....Taking AIM at a Better Life.

How would you complete this sentence? "In 2008, I want a better _____________________________."

You may fill in the blank in any number of ways.....

and Some of you may need more blank than others......

but hopefully EVERY ONE of you have something that you can identify that you would like to be BETTER in your life.....

You may want a Better MARRIAGE or FAMILY RELATIONSHIP....

You may want a Better JOB, CAREER or WORK ENVIRONMENT.....

...... Better FINANCIAL CONDITIONS or SECURITY.....

......a better home.....or something like that....

Or how about a Better CHURCH

.....(notice I said Better church not a NEW or DIFFERENT church.)

or....MAYBE....again....hopefully...you also want a better CHRISTIANITY....

....a Better Relationship with your Heavenly Father...and with Jesus Christ.......

.....more knowledge of God’s Word or a Better Understanding of His Ways....

FIRST....No matter what area of improvement you want to see in your life....

.....It starts with Identifying Your Desire

Now if you don’t have any desire for IMPROVEMENT....

then you should know that.....

.... Proverbs 1:32 in the (CJB)says "For the aimless wandering of the thoughtless will kill them, and the smug overconfidence of fools will destroy them;"

There are Two Deadly Dangerous things here.....

The first is AIMLESS WANDERING....

.....going through life with NO DIRECTION or DESIRED DESTINATION......

and the second is being Overly Satisfied with things JUST AS THEY ARE

The first killer lifestyle stems from THOUGHTLESSNESS

You need to Know today that: People who do not THINK about where they are headed.....

are not just going NOWHERE.....

....but they ARE HEADED somewhere they DO NOT WISH TO GO

These people are lost and don’t even know it.....

....because they Don’t THINK about where they are going....

Marriages, Children, Families and Friends........

.....Jobs, Promotions, Security and Homes.....

.....Plans, Hopes, Dreams.....

And WORST OF ALL......ETERNAL Destinies....

These are ALL LOST because people do not consider where today’s ACTIONS are taking them......

LISTEN: You will not Walk in Victory....

....neither will your life improve without your Purposeful Participation

We’ll talk more in detail about this later.....

but I’ll give you a practical example of what I mean right now.....

If you want a better marriage OR if simply do not want a worse one....

then you need to AIM and work toward Making it better.

Because it will most likely NEVER get better on its on.

Another is this:

You will not Get to HEAVEN by ACCIDENT......

It must be your Determined Destination

Today, I want you to THINK ABOUT where you’re headed....

.....what’s in your future

You have an ETERNAL ONE whether you like to think about it or not......

And the Bible says "The Aimless Wondering of the thoughtless WILL KILL THEM."

Where will the Direction you’re headed take you?....think about it.

The Second Killer Lifestyle stems from being Overly Satisfied with things JUST AS THEY ARE

That can be One of Two things.....It can be PRIDE or COMPLACENCY....

Either way it means you think you are Good Enough or You Have Enough right where you are.

That makes me think of something Jesus said in Matthew 25

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

Why did they Take No Oil?......because they were satisfied with what they had......

....they thought they HAD ENOUGH.....

but when they realized they needed more and went to get it....

.....the Bridegroom came and THEY WERE LEFT OUT.

Jesus went on in Matthew 25 to tell the Parable of the talents.....

Beginning in verse 14.....Jesus tells of a man who entrusted his servants with his goods.....

He gave one 5 talents...another 2 talents and another 1 talent.....

Verse 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

The same thing happened with the 2 talent guy......

But when it came to the 1 talent guy.....He had made NO INCREASE AT ALL.....

All he had was a list of excuses WHY he didn’t do anything......

Let’s Look what happened to him.....

Verse 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

Why did this guy lose what he had? ......because HE FAILED where increase is concerned.

He thought he could get by with doing nothing....

He thought returning just what he’d been given would be enough......

How different his life would have been if he had just CARED what the WILL of HIS MASTER was.....

The Problem can be traced back to His DESIRE

.... it’s one thing to have No desire for promotion, improvement or increase for yourself......

But he also didn’t show any DESIRE to please his master....

and that made him a Wicked, Lazy and USELESS SERVANT according to Jesus

You may say, "But maybe he didn’t know."

Maybe...but obviously the other 2 knew.......and he could have asked.

Heb 2:3 says this "How shall we escape, IF WE NEGLECT so great salvation......"

IF WE NEGLECT so great salvation....

Our Salvation is an Accomplished Fact in Christ Jesus.....

God’s Plan for our Increase and Growth and Production is CLEARLY Proclaimed in His Word.....

If we miss out on ANYTHING Good in our lives....

....it can be traced back to OUR NEGLECT of His SO GREAT SALVATION

2 Peter 1:3 says ".....His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue"

What’s God’s Will for Us?.....All that pertains to Life and Godliness

How do we get it?......through Knowing Him.....

but if we don’t know Him...it’s because WE Really haven’t seriously DESIRED Better....

Or we’ve never taken the time to DEFINE our desire so we could see if we’re making any progress toward it or not.....

A better ANYTHING begins with a DESIRE in you

Desire under girds or holds up your Hopes and Dreams.....

Desire precedes Believing that you can have BETTER....

and Believing comes before having....

But your Desire has to be DEFINED.....it has to become your Definite Aim

No matter WHAT you would put in that blank today.....

It will not happen without Your Running with DEFINITE AIM

The Definite Aim is the Prize in 1 Cor 9:24 ........

and its the Whatever you filled in the Blank With.....

It’s what you want......

God wants to Give you YOUR HEART’S DESIRE today.....

....not the one your old Adamic nature desires.....

.....but the REAL DESIRE that will bring REAL SATISFACTION into your life.....

Psalms 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

God knows HOW to and He HAS what will REALLY SATISFY your Heart’s DESIRE.

and I can tell you for sure....

...that NO MATTER what you would fill in the blank with today....

No matter what you say you Want or Need to make your life BETTER......

....when you AIM at God and Pleasing Him....YOU GET IT ALL

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

If you Desire a better Marriage....Go after God with all your heart.....

and you’ll become a better SPOUSE.....and you’ll create a BETTER MARRIAGE....

If you Desire Promotion or a better job.....

.....Go after Pleasing God and you’ll become a Better Employee who is MORE VALUABLE in the Workplace.....

Whatever it is you DESIRE...you’ve just got to Get up and GET AFTER IT.....

Let’s go back again to verse 24 of our text in 1 Cor 9 .....

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Now, in a race, Paul says "one receives the prize"

.....Which one receives the prize?......The WINNER right.....

... then he said "SO RUN, that you may obtain."

I used to read that and it really left me feeling a little disheartened "....all run...but ONE receiveth the prize...."

You know, I’ve never been able to run very fast.....

Even when I was a kid playing ball.....there was ALWAYS somebody faster.....

....or who could run Farther.....

....so I thought this is not a very good analogy for me....

But....Did you notice that Paul didn’t say "RUN FAST or even RUN HARD"?......

He just said "RUN that you may obtain"

Then it hit me......

.....What’s worse than losing a race to a million runners?

....Losing the race when you are the ONLY RUNNER

Here’s Good News.....You’re not running AGAINST ANYBODY.....

This is YOUR RACE...not anyone else’s....

The ONLY WAY you can LOSE THIS RACE....is if YOU DON’T RUN

And it’s a SAD TRUTH that MANY will LOSE.....

...some because they never came through the starting GATE....

...and others because they stopped running for one reason or another....