Title: IF: Against Me
Place: Blue Licks Christian Church
Date: 10/16/16
Text: Romans 8.4, Luke 9.23, 1 Corinthians 10 .23
CT: We must deny our self to reach God’s ideal for our lives.
Show Clip of movie trailer “Sully”.
[Screen 1]
FAS: On January 2, 2009,Flight 1549, a regular US Airways trip from LaGuardia Airport, took off at 15:26 local time, bound for Charlotte North Carolina. Everything was going fine. The captain did all the usual checks. The crew was settling in for a smooth flight as they had done so many times before.
But two minutes into the flight the plane ran straight into a flock of Canadian geese. One goose in a jet engine is dangerous but a flock was disastrous. Almost immediately both engines of the plane failed.
The captain and co-pilot had to make several major decisions instantly if they were going to save the lives of those on board and those on the ground in the crowded city below them.
There was no way to get back to the airport. That was even proven later.
Landing on the crowded New Jersey turnpike was not an option.
The only feasible option, as bad as it sounded, was to land on the Hudson River, which was nearly impossible to do. Never had been done. One slight mistake would send the plane into a somersault before breaking up and sinking.
In the two to three minutes they had to maneuver toward the river, many split second decisions had to be made. They had to adjust the nose to keep up flight speed. Had to override the autopilot computer. They had to straighten up out of a sharp turn to land on the water moving with the current and not against. They had to be perfectly level on impact. Along with many other tasks amateurs would not understand. Fortunately the captain, Chesley Sullenberger III, known as Sully was also a gliding instructor. And at just the right moment he had to bring the nose back up to set the plane on the water to keep from diving in. [Screen 2]
And they did it. Everyone got off the plane safely, with captain Sully himself walking up and down the aisle of the plane a couple of times to be sure everyone was off. One hundred and fifty five souls took off on that plane and one hundred and fifty five souls returned safely to the ground.
LS: Many people describe this event as a miracle. I watched the movie Monday night and it did seem like a miracle. At one level I would not question that. But what I find so incredible about this event is the way it illustrates a very vital truth for us to embrace as followers of Christ and for anyone who wants to be able to arise to the occasion should we be called.
You could call it the power of right habits. You might say it was the years of training and experience that brought about this miraculous ending.
The investigators of the crash or should I say forced water landing (as Sully was quick to point out), stated the only factor that kept the plane from being destroyed and all on board losing their lives was… Sully.
Face it, if you or I had been flying that plane it would have been doomed. Of course if there are any professionally trained pilots here today maybe you could have done what Sully did.
Sully had not, of course, been born with the ability to fly a plane let alone the specific skills he needed to land that plane in the Hudson River. None of the skills required, and certainly none of the courage, restraint, cool judgment and concern for others which he so famously displayed are part of the kit we receive at birth. You have to work at developing that set of skills. You have to choose those behaviors and practice them in all you do. And then at the time you really need those skills and strengths you will “automatically” react as the situation demands.
These skills become the virtue of that person’s life. It is a thousand small choices they have made to do the right things that lead to a person of the character that can handle any given situation to the best possible outcome.
It takes a lot of time to really be good at something. I often wish I could play piano or guitar. I watch folks who are so talented and make it look so easy.
It is the same with sports. We can’t just decide to pick up a basketball and hit 100 out of 100 free throws It takes time and many hours of practice.
Anything we attempt to do, whether it is playing a musical instrument or playing a sport or flying a plane, we have to develop a muscle memory that becomes stronger the more we repeat the activity.
Psychologists have come up with the 10,000 hour rule. It claims the amount of time needed to become an expert at anything is roughly 10,000 hours. That’s both encouraging and discouraging. Encouraging is that any one can do anything they set their mind to if they put in the hours. Discouraging that no matter how gifted you are there is no shortcut to being an expert at what you seek to do.
This applies to our spiritual life as well. Just like learning a new language or skill it takes time to learn to pray and serve God.
We need to practice our spiritual muscle. We need to work daily to develop our character, our virtue. We need to make the wise decision to sow carefully into our life so that when the time comes to serve God we can reap the harvest we hope to get. [Screen 3]
Galatians 6.9, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
We may never know when that proper time will come upon us. We must be ready.
It is hard to imagine a farmer planting beans, then surprised that corn comes up. That ‘s obvious.
Yet we often times seem surprised with what the seeds of our sins and desires bring. We reap what we sow. So what are you planting?
Are you planting love or hate?
Self-control or self-indulgence?
What you sow is what will make or break you.
Do you want a bumper crop for your life?
If you want your life to reflect the Jesus you follow than you must fill your life with His Spirit.
If you want God to do something new and better in your life you can’t keep doing the same old thing.
You have to sow something different. You have to change and do something different, then you have to turn that righteous or right way of living into a righteous routine that you repeat over and over and over. Not just once in a while.
One caution. Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect. If you practice the wrong thing it just becomes permanent. We reap what we sow.
Ok. What is the secret to sowing right and ending up with a character and faith that can overcome any obstacle or struggle we may face.
Let’s go to the great eight and see if we can find some insight. [Screen 4]
Romans 8.4, Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. KJV
Pretty big statement.
What does this mean? I would like to make it a little simpler. It means you have to [Screen 5] decide against yourself. That is never easy.
We all have wants and desires that will bring ruin to us. That will pull us down the road that leads to being enslaved by these desires and wants.
What the Apostle Paul is saying here is we have to say no to our self and yes to the ways of the spirit. Joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and the last and often hardest one, self control. We say yes to those and no to the desires of the flesh.
Its like the guy who has the six pack abs. That person made a decision against himself. He went to the gym while a lot of the rest of us go for seconds of dessert.
Or how about the person who gets the PhD or Md? They went to the library while a lot of us turn on the TV or go party.
They made decisions against themselves. They went against the desire of their flesh. Whether it is in academics, world-class athletes, world-renowned musicians, or pilots who can land a plane on a river, they got there by making decisions against themselves.
Is there a decision you need to make against yourself to reach the ideal God has for your life. That one decision you need to make could save you from a thousand “If only” regrets to an avalanche of “what if” possibilities in your life.
That’s what Paul says.
Let’s see what Jesus says.
Jesus tells us something very similar and maybe even a bit deeper. He calls us to deny our self. [Screen 6]
Luke 9.23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves.
If we claim to be a follower of Christ we must make decisions against our self to move toward Him. We decide against our self…to decide for Him.
Just like we get into shape one workout at a time. We decide to go.
We get out debt one paycheck at a time. We decide to put money aside to pay off debt.
We read God’s word one verse at a time. We decide to put God’s word first, not our words.
We follow Jesus one step at a time until it becomes second nature. Till we become a true reflection of Him.
We practice our spirituality of praise and service to Him daily.
It becomes so much a part of us that when we are asked, in the last part of that scripture, to [Screen 7] TAKE UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME …WE CAN.
One more thing about this you need to understand. If you are trapped in a habit that is keeping you from following Jesus you have something to do. You have to break that habit. How do you do that?
You replace the bad habit with a good one.
The only way to break the sin habit is to make a new prayer habit.
Paul says Romans 8.4, [Screen 8] Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
He doesn’t say to just avoid the flesh, the bad habits. He goes on to say to walk after the Spirit.
Making a decision against something is only half the battle.
The other half is making a decision for something right, something good.
Dallas Willard explained it this way. “ Not going to London or Atlanta is a poor plan for going to New York.”
That’s like trying to say you can reach God’s ideal by just not doing anything wrong. You have got to step up and move forward to reach God’s ideal. We must follow His Son.
Goodness is not just the absence of badness. After all you can do nothing wrong and still not do something right.
Righteousness. Being right with God isn’t about being right, it is about doing something right.
Too many Christians are just playing not to lose.
That attitude will leave us with “if only” regrets. I want to play to win for Christ at this church. His Church.
Its like only playing defense in a football game, which only prevents the other team from scoring. To win the game there has to be offense along with good defense.
We are called to advance the kingdom, not just hold the fort. [Screen 9]
Jesus said in Matthew 16.18, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
First of all Jesus is saying this is His church.
Secondly this is saying that we are to be on the attack of hell. Gates are for protection. Hell must need protection from us.
We serve the almighty God. If He is with us we should push the devil back into hell and slam his own gates on him.
We speak too much about being protected from Satan and evil when in reality, Jesus is saying “LET’S GO.” Lets knock down the walls of hell and release those it holds captive.
What if we took this really serious? [Screen 10]
Are you really serious about following God’s Son Jesus Christ?
What if we go against our selves and make the decision to follow Christ.
What if we set our alarm for thirty minutes earlier in the morning to read God’s word from cover to cover in one year? That would be deciding against your self wouldn’t it? I kinda like that snooze button sometimes. [screen 11]
What if instead of watching TV one night we go to a Bible study to strengthen our spiritual muscle.
What if we don’t avoid the work it takes to walk across a room to reflect Christ to someone else and what if we just do it.
What if we put others first in our relationships to develop a serving character? Think how much better our marriages and families would be.
What if all these new decisions become such a part of our lives it becomes our character, our virtue.
Then one day, when life is tough and a flock of geese bombard the plane of your life, you will “automatically” respond for a positive outcome through Jesus Christ. You will be able to land your life safely in God’s ideal, for you, no matter what the realms of hell may try to throw at you.
[Screen 12]
CT: We must deny our self to reach God’s ideal for our lives.
Conclusion: Are you ready to step up for Christ?
Are you ready to go against your self to let the fruits of the spirit be your ultimate gain?
Be ready for the day when all the decisions you have made in your life make the difference in how you land.
Make the decision to land in God’s hands. Seek His ideal for your life.
There is no better or more important decision you will ever make. Won’t you come today? Make the decision to make the change needed to follow our Lord.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Wright, N. T. After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters. New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010. Print. pp18-20
Batterson, Mark. If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God's What If Possibilities. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015. Print. Chapter six
