Scripture: Jeremiah 1:1-10; Proverbs 3:5-6
Theme: How to Be Your Best
Title: Steps to Greatness
Step One – Embrace Good Spiritual Mentors/Teachers – Those who will Challenge You and Encourage You
Step Two – Embrace Proper Spiritual Nourishment – Spiritual Vitamins (A – Abiding in Christ B- Bible Reading C – Communication (Prayer) and Communion (Fellowship and the Lord’s Supper)
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
Remember the story of Queen Esther?
Around the same time that Queen Esther was living there was a Greek historian that was born that later was given the title of being the “Father of History” (by the Roman orator Cicero). His name was Herodotus.
Herodotus wrote a book centered on the Greco-Persian wars using a new method of writing. Herodotus would systematical gather all the data and then critically arrange his writings to form what would later be called a historiographic narrative.
Herodotus was interested in more than just the plain facts. He wanted to reveal to his readers what was going on in the background. It was important for him to try to figure out why certain things happened at certain times.
He wanted to know more than just the facts that the Persian army was powerful and that the Persian nation was taking over the world. He wanted to know all of the background stories. What caused Persia to suddenly be able to overtake the Assyrian and the Babylonian Empires? What caused Persia to be able to defeat the mighty nation of Greece?
He makes a statement that applies to our message this morning:
Herodotus says, "Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects".
“Very few things happen at the right time …” In other words, if we want certain things to happen in our lives we cannot give into the idea that they will happen by fate or by accident. If we want certain things to happen then there has be purpose or intention involved and then we have to of course act on that purpose and intention.
That is the way it was for Jeremiah. His birth was not am accident. His life was not something that just happened.
+The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY designed Jeremiah even before he was conceived
+The LORD had a definite plan for his life – The LORD had already set him apart and had appointed him to be a prophet to the people of God
Jeremiah’s whole life was one that was designed by God and was one that was ordered by God.
But just because the LORD wants something to happen does not mean that it will always happen. Jeremiah, like all humans had (has) free will. Even though the LORD had a plan for his life and had set him apart it was still up to Jeremiah to fulfill that plan.
Jeremiah could have rejected the LORD’s plan for his life. He could have made the same mistakes that King Saul made during his life time. King Saul was a man like Jeremiah in the sense that he had been given a divine destiny to fulfill. The LORD had a definite purpose in mind for King Saul but as we read his story we see that King Saul rejected that plan. He did not do all the things that the LORD wanted him to do with his life and as a result good people, innocent people suffered.
Free will is our privilege and God given right. We can either choose to follow God’s will for our lives or we can reject the convictions and leadings of the Holy Spirit. Both choices have consequences.
Rejecting God’s will for our lives will always lead to a life of chaos, destruction and disaster. Rejecting God’s will for our lives will not only adversely affect our lives but the lives of others as well.
However, the same is true when we obey God’s Will. The more we align our lives with God’s purpose and design ( a life of holiness) the more that we can bring and experience God’s blessings in our lives and in the lives of those around us. There is nothing more wonderful we can do in our own life, in the lives of those around and in the lives yet to come than to be a person following and doing God’s Will.
In fact, the more we try to do God’s Will the better we will know God’s Will:
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will and in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
As we see just in that passage there is nothing that is left to fate, fortune or accident. There is purpose – there is intention – there is action:
+The Act of Trust – Trust that is Total/Complete
+There is Dependence on God’s Understanding and Not Human Understanding
+There is Seeking – Actively Seeking – Searching For God’s Will with all your heart, mind, soul and strength
+There is Obedience – Once You See His Will there is still the need to Follow His Will
So, with all of that in mind – what are some of the things that we can do to make sure that we have the best life today whether we are young, middle aged or senior aged. For it is just as important for us to have a plan at the age of 20+ as it is for us to have a plan at the age of 80+
Let me share with you some things that we find throughout Scripture:
1. We need to Embrace Good Spiritual Mentors/Teachers
This is true whether we are again in our early years of life or we are in our later years of life. We tend to think that having good spiritual mentors or teachers is only important in the early parts of our lives but if we look at scripture we see that it is essential in the later parts of our lives as well.
We need people who will both challenge us and at the same time encourage us. We need people who will cause us to stretch and people who will build us up.
Proverb 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend”
Just a few verses before that one we read
“Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy” (v.6)
All of us need people who can challenge us and who can hold us accountable. We need people who can “agape style” tell us when we are wrong or when we are about to get ourselves in trouble or go down the wrong road. We need people who can help us be sharper even if it means a little sparks have to fly.
One of the great things about living today is that we can have access to those type of spiritual teachers not only next to us in the flesh but because of all the different kinds of media (books, tapes, videos, pod casts …) they are available to us 24/7.
As we mature we occasionally fall into the trap of thinking that we are no longer accountable and that there is nothing more we need to learn. We have lived for a long time and we have seen a lot of things. We no longer need any spiritual helpers in our lives. We are fine just as we are; thank-you!
But the truth is before we have lived in our 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and even 80’s we don’t know what that life is all about. We don’t know the privileges and the challenges that these years hold for us. But we can if we are open to other people along with reading books, articles and listening to those in the faith older than us share their stories.
That is why I love the fact that people like Charles Swindoll, David Jeremiah, Jack Hayford, Michael Youssef and James Dobson are still writing and sharing. That is why I love the fact that we have some of Billy Graham’s writing and words when he was in his 80’s and 90’s.
All of those and many more are able to challenge us along the journey because they are still on that journey. They are still in the game so to speak.
And alongside those who are able to challenge us we need those who will encourage us. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul
“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” – 1 Thess. 5:11
“So then, let us aim for harmony in the Church and try to build each other up.” – Romans 14:19
“We should help others do what is right and build them up in the LORD.” – Romans 15:2
Notice the words encourage and build up but not in the sense of placating, mollifying or just sharing one another’s misery or excusing each other’s bad behavior.
Too often as we age we want people to just agree with us to make us happy. We want people to just over look our grumpiness, our bad attitude and our wrong dispositions. We want people to over look our carnal attitudes and feelings. We want people to just accept our behavior and leave us alone.
But what is necessary for children is also necessary for young adults and even senior adults. Until we arrive and live in the New Heaven and New Earth we need to continue to work on our attitudes and become sweeter and sweeter as the day goes by and not more ornery, crabby or hard to get along with.
Our goal is to one day reach the heights of a person like Anna or Simeon whose last days were their best days. Our goal is to live life to its fullest like Job, Joshua, Daniel, Lydia and Mary.
We can do that if we have around us people that are able to both challenge us and encourage us. We can do that if we have people around us that can hold us accountable and that will help us become sharper and sharper. We can do that if we have those around us that help build us up no matter what point in life that we find ourselves.
And what we need for ourselves we need to be for others. We need to be accountability partners for others as well and encouragers as well. We are in this thing called life together and we need one another. We need one another to be the best we can be today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives
II. We Need To Embrace Proper Spiritual Nourishment
We all know that proper nutrition is essential. It is vital that we take in the right liquids and foods. Our level of energy, our ability to cope with all of life’s challenges and even the way we are able to think is directly linked to what we eat and drink.
We have all experienced times that we have not eaten a balanced diet and have had to pay the price. We have all experienced times that we have been in a hurry and either did not eat at all or else we ate something rather unhealthy. We have endured the consequences of feeling nauseated, having a headache, heartburn or feeling lethargic. We have experienced times when our diet has caused us to become irritated, jumpy or just plain ole grumpy.
All of those things happen to us because our bodies were screaming out that what we are giving them as fuel was not good. We can’t expect our bodies to function effectively and efficiently if we are eating or drinking the wrong things.
You can’t put diesel fuel in gas engine and expect it to work. If you do the engine will start smoking like crazy and in the end it will gum up the engine to where it will not work. The same way we can’t put the wrong foods in our bodies and expect them to work the best.
And what is true of the physical body is even more true when it comes to our spiritual bodies. Without the proper type of spiritual nutrition, our inner life begins to suffer some rather horrible consequences.
Our spiritual bodies long to fed, nourished and energized on a regular basis. When we fail to take in the proper spiritual nourishment we begin to fall apart spiritually. When we fail to take in the proper spiritual food and drink we turn off our spiritual hearts, mind and soul and begin to once again operate in the flesh.
And when we are in the flesh we become shallow and manipulative. When we operate in the flesh we become more demanding and have a critical spirit. When we are in the flesh we become more self-centered and react impatiently and we let our anger get out of control. When we are in the flesh we lean more towards works righteousness than grace, mercy and love.
So, how can we make sure we are taking in the right spiritual nourishment?
Let’s look at this way – we need to be taking our Spiritual Vitamin A, B and C
+A – Abide in Christ – We need to embrace being in God’s Presence
This means that we set aside a part of our day and spend some time meditating (thinking, resting, relaxing) in the LORD. When we practice spending some time with the LORD some amazing things happen in our lives:
+We become more at peace – with ourselves and with others
+We experience a time of calm even in the midst of life’s storms
+Our thinking becomes clearer as we tune into God’s thinking
+Our lives refocus themselves from being carnally based to spiritually based
We find ourselves in that place where the Apostle Paul instructed his disciples in Philippi
“ … Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8b)
+B – Bible Reading – we need to Embrace God’s Word.
Not just a verse a day but at least a few verses a day – the more we are able to read God’s Word the more strength we will possess in the LORD.
The Bible is more than a book. The Bible is alive. It is a living love letter from the LORD to all of us. It is a living love letter that will feed us day after day. And the more we read and study the Bible the deeper and richer our lives will become.
Listen to some passages that the Bible shares with us.
“Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” – Joshua 1:8
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12
If we want to know what God thinks and how God does things then we need to be people of the Word. We need to read, mediate and study God’s Word. There is no substitute.
+C - We need to Embrace Communication – Prayer and Communion
- In Prayer we speak to God and God speaks to us
- In Communion we experience wholeness and New Life – Healing and Salvation
The Lord calls every believer to a life of prayer—no matter how long they have been saved or how experienced they are in this discipline. The best thing all of us can do to improve ourselves, our lives, and our relationships is to grow in prayer.
Dr. Billy Graham reminded us about the importance of prayer when he said:
“In the morning, prayer is the key that opens to us the treasures of God’s mercies and blessings; in the evening, it is the key that shuts us up under His protection and safeguard.”
One of the things that you notice very quickly in reading the Bible is the importance of prayer; that is of speaking to and with God. Adam and Eve spent time in prayer; real prayer. Not just words said to God but words shared with God.
This is especially true when we read the stories of Noah, Abraham, King David and Daniel. Their prayers were more than words they were conversations with the LORD. Conversations that were not one-side but were a dialogue between them and the LORD.
For that is what prayer is; it is a conversation. It is more than a laundry list of wants and desires. It is more than a wish list or a ritual. Prayer is to be alive. It is to move both us and God.
Prayer is one of the ways we establish a deeper relationship with God. God knows the desires of our hearts long before we open our heart, mind or mouth. But He still loves to hear from us; to talk with us.
God knows what is going on in our lives but He still wants us to share. That is why throughout the Scriptures you have all kinds of prayers. The Bible contains prayers that include words of praise and thanksgiving and prayers that contain complaints and even words of anger.
People in the Bible were not afraid to share the depths of their hearts. Hannah cries out in anger and pain. David gives both praises and complaints. Jeremiah shares times of great grief and frustration. Job shares times of confusion and Hezekiah used some of his prayers to change God’s mind.
That is why the Bible shares such passages that deal with prayer:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” – Romans 8:26
Finally, this morning there is Communion – there is the Lord’s Supper.
For the first 1500 years in the Church the sharing of Communion was at the center of fellowship and the Church.
+When the Disciples gathered together for a time of prayer, Bible Study and fellowship they would share Communion
+In the Earliest of Churches down to around 1500 – 1600 at the center of every church was the Communion Table that held the elements of the LORD’s Supper.
But then around 1600 AD things changed. Many Churches began to place the pulpit in the center and the Communion Table in the background or take it out all together. The Preaching of the Word became more important than the sharing of the Lord’s Supper.
Depending on how good the person was in sharing the Word greatly determined how large the congregation was and what direction the Church was going to take. It was more important to focus on what 1 Person felt was the Word of God for the week than it was to focus on Prayer, Bible Reading or Communion.
All of that happened for a great many reasons some of which were very good. But the fact remains that Prayer, Bible Reading and Communion are vital for the Church to be its best.
Yes, the Church needs great sermons. Yes, the Church needs great teaching. But when we focus more on the minister or on the teacher and less on God’s Presence, the Word, Prayer and the Lord’s Supper then we will find ourselves a weak congregation and a weak people.
-There is nothing better to do when we gather than to take time to listen to the Bible being read and to spend time together praying prayers of intercession, thanksgiving and praise.
-There is nothing better than to share the elements of the LORD’s Supper together as we receive God’s healing and salvation.
This morning that is how we are going to close our service. We are going to take a few moments and share the Lord’s Supper.
As we do I would like for us to think of these words as we share Communion –
In Christ we are:
+Rescued +Redeemed +Renewed +Accepted
+Approved +Secure +Free +Forgiven
+A Citizen of Heaven +Filled with the Holy Spirit
+Whole +Healed +Valuable +Anointed
Sharing the Lord’s Supper/Prayer/Blessing
