Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Healthy Habits Review"
Introduction
Today we conclude a long series in the habits or practices that not only cultivate spiritual maturity but enable us to develop greater capacity to relate to God. I want to provide some spiritual direction for the New Year. Today, I will offer some practical suggestions for each discipline and actually engage in each one. These are all elements necessary to develop greater intimacy in ANY relationship. Each discipline or habit serves to diminish the pull of the flesh and release the power of the renewed spirit that brings significant transformation of our life.
I have presented each of them in a somewhat logical order although each discipline interacts with the others and each discipline reinforces the others. The first was time of silence and solitude to practice the others. When we connect with God in silence and solitude we recognize our need to surrender and submit to His will and work in our life. When we humbly submit to His will, we realize how stubborn and rebellious we really are and humble our hearts in confession of our failure to do what we should and fortitude to avoid the things we should not do. With a submitted humble heart we are ready to interact with God’s word without some personal agenda or avoidance and the scripture ignites faith which inspires praise and activates prayer. With a humble, pure, directed, trusting, grateful, prayerful heart we become motivated to sacrifice the things we value most in order to offer ourselves and our resources to the one who gave Himself for us. We are ready to use any and every means to live simply and find ourselves content with knowing He will never leave us or forsake us and will provide whatever is necessary to accomplish what He has asked us to do. Such a state of surrender and connection with God makes us fully usable as servants. As we develop a servant’s heart we find a greater longing to connect with like-hearted people in a meaningful way. Such a level of connection with God and like-minded believers generates an excitement to share with those who do not know Christ. Such believers are prime targets of the enemy to trip up and therefore becomes all the more imperative to be on the alert and take a stand against Satan.
These spiritual disciplines must become our WAY OF LIFE. That is why I call them habits.
Just like any activity, we must expend initial effort to practice them until they become a natural way of life. We must submit to accountability and seek others to keep us faithful.
I. SILENCE AND SOLITUDE
No relationship flourishes without spending some quality time with each other.
David instructed us in the Psalms to be silent (cease striving) and know that He is God.
We live in a hurried culture. Just as stillness allows mud and silt to drop to the bottom and the water clears, so stillness in our lives enables us to see live more clearly. The only way that these elements become habit is by taking time out to develop them. Reserving prime time to meet with God is part of what it means to seek Him. Seeking God requires setting aside time to do it.
It will only happen if it is scheduled like any other important event or appointment. If you don’t schedule time with the family it won’t happen.
Without time, there is no development of intimacy. Life sucks up any undesignated minute of the day. Will you commit to giving time to him?
Daily, extended weekly, half a day monthly, fully day quarterly.
II. SUBMISSION
Every relationship functions best when the terms of the relationship are understood.
What is the commitment level? That level of commitment needs to be expressed to each other from time to time. Marriage, friendship, church members. What is our commitment level to Christ? Is He really our Lord? As a daily exercise we should begin each day reporting for duty.
Affirm Christ as boss of your life and your day. Think about your past week. Any evidence as to who really is boss? Focus, time, resources, purpose, energy? Scripture employs a number of visual pictures empathizing the nature of our relationship with God.
Master, Creator, King, Commander, Boss, Shepherd, infinite God. Pick one and take a moment to reflect on what that means. We need to take time to remind ourselves what God requires of us. Deuteronomy 10:12-14
We need to keep our God-given purpose in view as we begin each day. Lord I resubmit my life to You today! I exist because of You and for You. Reign in me! Reign over me!
III. CONFESSION / REPENTANCE
Every relationship encounters offenses. Broken promises, failure to follow through, hurtful actions and words, indifference, distance, unmet expectations, violated trust. We all do things we shouldn’t and fail to do things we should. These are sins of commission and omission.
Left untreated, these offenses inflict relational pain and damage that lead to death. There is only one healthy way to remedy relational offenses. The offender must repent and confess.
The offended must forgive. Our offenses against God occur daily and therefore our confession should be daily. The goal is to develop a sensitivity to sin that encourages immediate acknowledgment and confession. The typical response to sin is to deny, cover and bury.
That never works; just ask David. Psalms 32:3-4
Sin flourishes in the darkness but withers in the light.
There are five ways to bring sin to light.
• Ask God.
• Let the words of Scripture reprove and correct.
• Identify with the testimony of the struggles of others.
• Invite direct exhortation from a trusted friend. (Faithful are the wounds of a friend)
• Trace overreaction to others to your own personal struggle.
David prayed…
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. Psalms 139:23-24
Not until we put the overlay of God’s word over our own life do many of the huge deficits show up. Especially since God measures motives, attitudes and thought as well as actions.
As a matter of practice we should evaluate first our relationship with God.
Since against people is equal to sin against God we need to examine our relationship with others.
Confession involves some concrete elements.
1. Be clear of sins gravity and effect
2. Realize all sins stem first from rebellion against God (sin)
3. Address specific known offenses as God does
4. Seek restored relationship with god and those I have offended
5. Make any appropriate restitution
6. Resubmit your members as God’s instrument and not Satan’s.
IV. INTERACTION WITH SCRIPTURE
Scripture communicates God’s heart. Scripture reveals God’s interaction with people.
Scripture shares God’s desires. Just as such information and sharing is essential to any relationship, our interaction with Scripture connects us to God. It is our source of life.
Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
In light of the beginning of a new year, there are three key Scriptures to consider.
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:34-40
From this passage come two of our four life directing purposes.
1. Continually cultivate dynamic relationship with God.
2. Passionately pursue meaningful connection with people.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
3. Resolutely resist evil and restore godliness.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
4. Reach and touch people for Christ.
V. FAITH / TRUST
Beyond information and facts there must be an embracing of facts. The moment we take the information learned or the words spoken and entrust our lives to them we have exercised faith.
It is the core element of all relationships. Can they be trusted? Well we trust them with our lives? The same is true with God. Will we entrust our lives to Him?
• Acquire truth (study, investigate, read)
• Affirm the truth by review and rehearsal (say it out loud)
• Apply the truth personally (make a decision to embrace and act)
• Act on the truth (actually live by that truth)
Part of this discipline has to do with affirming what we believe to be true about God.
Not only affirmation but a decision to act in light of what we believe to be true.
VI. WORSHIP / THANKSGIVING / PRAISE
All relationships are fueled by expressions of thanks and praise and affirmation and adoration.
The core of worship is the Spirit-inspired response of the heart of man to the Spirit-revealed wonder of God. Such response comes in numerous forms.
Worship is about expressing our gratitude, honor and praise for who He is, what He has done.
VII. PRAYER
At this point in a relationship there is freedom to express need. We can be vulnerable and honest as to our struggles. With God we realize His love and care and permission to bring our requests to Him. He said cast all your care upon Me because I care for you. It is as time we uplift each other.
VIII. SACRIFICAL SERVICE / SIMPLICITY
Relationships deepen with mutual sacrifice. The greatest expression of intimacy is selflessness.
Sacrifice has to do with giving up something valued highly for the sake of someone valued more highly.
Family Sacrifice – continually release them to God.
Time sacrifice – discipline of silence and solitude regular time set aside just for God
Money – discipline of giving (regular giving and freewill offerings)
Possessions – the discipline of simplicity)
Pleasure – the discipline of fasting
Power – the discipline of service to others in Jesus’ name
The more we focus on serving others and sacrificing for others the more motivation to liver more simply. We seek to use things and love people rather than love things and use people.
Think about regular ministry to others. What are we doing? God called us to inherit a blessing and be a blessing. The more we serve others, the more grace floods our lives. He provides the energy and motivation to reach out to others.
IX. CONNECTION
Relationships are about deeper connection. God tells us to continually come together for encouragement. Pursue meaningful connection. The body reflects unity, diversity and mutuality. Connect this year. Connect with God. Connect with ministry to others.
Connect for mutual encouragement.
X. WITNESS FOR CHRIST
God tells us to look for opportunities to reach and touch. Reach and teach.
We must all somehow be involved in the global effort the spread the good new.
XI. SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Every relationship requires protection. Everyday we pray for protection.
