Five Life Changing Resolutions
Part 1
I Give Myself Totally
2 Corinthians 8:5
Scripture Reading
I. No Reserve
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
a. Surrender your identity
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
b. Surrender your individuality
Ever heard of the "bowling alone syndrome" or "refrigerator rights?" If not, that makes you an average out-of-touch-with-pop-culture American. Society is changing and every ministry and marketer needs to adapt or die. Here are three vital new sociological labels C. Jeff Woods, author of Congregational Megatrends, (Alban Institute) says are impacting the church. The "bowling alone syndrome" describes the break-up of civil society and the retreat from participation in voluntary associations. The American Bowling Congress reports more people are bowling than ever, but they are bowling alone. The number of bowling leagues is down because people will bowl when they feel like it, when the mood strikes, not when they are scheduled to be there. It’s a Lone Ranger mentality overriding a team mentality. Where are you when the mood strikes your market? Woods explains another phenomenon, "refrigerator rights," as "how many people do you know who feel welcome to come into your home, go to the refrigerator and get a glass of cold water without asking?" Probably not many in our isolated and lonely culture. Helping people feel more connected to you is crucial today. A third trend, "road rage" reveals the sense of powerlessness many feel. "They feel that nothing they touch responds to their control--not their spouses, not their children, not their careers. The only thing that does respond--is an automobile. So when they get behind the wheel, all their frustrations boil up and road rage results. (Religion News Service 4/98)
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
c. Surrender your independence
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
II. No Retreat
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt…
Someone said that “Lot got his wife out of Sodom but he couldn’t get Sodom out of his wife!”
a. In service for Christ
Philemon 1:24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
Acts 15:37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
b. In suffering for Christ
2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
I heard Dr. Adrian Rogers say, Most of us ask, “Why am I suffering,” when we should ask, “Why did God suffer?”
Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
c. In speaking for Christ
Matthew 26:69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
Compare this with Peter’s experience later standing before the Sanhedrim.
Acts 5:28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Acts 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
John Wesley was a popular evangelist in early America and often rode from one church to another to preach. On one such journey, stopped by a highwayman who shouted, "Halt, your money or your life."
Wesley got down from his horse, emptied his pockets to reveal only a handful of coins. He even invited the robber to search his saddlebags - which only carried his books. In disgust, the thief was turning away when John Wesley cried "Stop, I have something more to give you."
Puzzled, the robber turned back. Wesley then leaned towards him and said "My friend, you may live to regret this sort of life in which you are engaged. If you ever do, I beseech you to remember this: ’The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s son, cleanses us from all sin.’"
The robber hurried silently away, but Wesley got back on his horse & rode on his way praying in his heart that the word might be fixed in the robber’s conscience.
Years later, at the close of a Sunday evening service, a stranger stepped forward and earnestly begged to speak with John Wesley. Wesley recognized him as the robber who had stolen from him so long before, but now he was a well to do tradesman and better still, a child of God. Raising Wesley’s hand to his lips he affectionately kissed it and sad in deep emotion, "To you, dear sir, I owe it all."
Wesley replied softly, "Nay, nay, my friend, not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin."
III. No Regrets
a. The power of regret
MY NAME IS “I AM”
I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking: “My name is “I AM.” He paused. I waited.
He continued, “When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WAS.’
When you live in the future with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not ‘I WILL BE.’
When you live in this moment it is not hard; I am there! My name is ‘I AM!’
b. The pain of regret
Perhaps Leonard da Vinci wanted to send a subtle message about regret when he painted "The last Supper." In that painting an overturned salt shaker is conspicuously placed before Judas. We know that Judas came to regret his betrayal of Christ but it was too late and regret led to his suicide.
In Decision magazine, Peggy DesNoyers writes:
My job as a psychiatric home-health nurse brought me in touch with many people who were hurt or angry and who were searching for answers to problems in their lives.
I knew that Jesus was the answer, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk to them about him.
I was the master of excuses.
[Until] one patient changed my life.
Wanda was a 56-year-old widow in chronic depression.
All of her family had died, some of them tragically, within a span of 16 years.
The loss and her grief overwhelmed her until life for her became a burden she was unable to bear.
One day she quit her job, went home, pulled the curtains, and refused to leave her house.
Eventually she stopped eating, and even the smallest of tasks became too difficult for her to do.
An observant neighbor had noticed the changed in Wanda’s behavior, and that neighbor made arrangements for her to be taken to a hospital where she was admitted to the psychiatric ward.
At the end of her hospital stay, when she went home, I was assigned to be her home-health nurse.
I visited her weekly to make sure she was taking her medication and was eating and taking care of herself.
Over the course of six months Wanda continued to recover.
Although I knew she needed to meet Jesus as her Savior, I reasoned that she would soon be attending church and would hear about him there.
One day I went to Wanda’s house for my regular visit, and I was surprised to find the door ajar.
I knocked and when there was no response, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The living room was vacant, so I went to her bedroom and found her lifeless body on the bed.
There were several empty medication bottles beside her, and in her hand she held a noted addressed to me.
I sat on the bed beside her and took the note.
I read: "Dear Peggy, I’m so sorry. I tried it your way, but I got tired. Please forgive me. I tried. I just couldn’t do it. I got tired."
I slid off the bed onto my knees and cried my heart out to my loving, forgiving Father: "Lord Jesus, she tried it my way. I gave her the best that I had. But it was my way. I didn’t tell her about you. I didn’t tell her about your way."
On my knees beside [Wanda’s] lifeless body I promised God that I would never pass by another opportunity to tell someone about him.
c. The prescription for regret
THE GRADUATION GIFT
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealers showroom, and knowing that his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study.
His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather bound Bible, with the young man’s name embossed in gold.
Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a BIble?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.
He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages.
His father has carefully underlined a verse, Matthew 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"
As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealers name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words....PAID IN FULL.
How many times have we missed God’s blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?
Barbara Bush, in a 1994 Commencement Address, at Wellesley College, said the following, “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal, but you will regret time not spent with your spouse, your children or your friends.” I would like to add your faith to this list.
