The Abundant Life of Jesus:
Part IV: The Power of Why!
John 10:10 & Luke 11:28
Intro: Today we’re going to follow up on the last sermon which left
us with the problem of "How to get good and ready." Remember,
we’ll stop procrastinating and start doing the things we know we
should, "WHEN WE’RE GOOD AND READY?!"
We’ll also deal more directly with the # 1 obstacle, sabotaging
pattern of behavior, keeping most people from living the Abundant
Life of Jesus: Procrastination, and we’re not "putting it off."
Today!
Well, a part of the secret to getting ready sooner is the proper use of
QUESTIONS?!! And "Why" questions are among the best.
For the first time in a long time, we DON’T have 3 teenagers. Our
oldest child, Joy, just turned 20, she called and told me she was
feeling old, oh, don’t you feel sorry for her.
But it reminds me of a time, way back in New York, when we
adopted her, (she was adopted as a baby from Korea) we worked
with a Christian adoption agency in Syracuse. The time came
when they were to come and inteview us; the man’s name was
"Bear." Mr. Bear was a good christian guy.
Anyway, we told Joy, who was about 2 then, that "Mr. Bear" was
coming to visit with us. I didn’t think much about it, but Joy
seemed uneasy. The day came and she was real nervous and when
the guy finally came, she said, "You’re not ’Mr. Bear.’"
She was expecting a real, furry bear.
Kids are great, did you hear about the updated version of
Goldilocks? Well, she sued the 3 bears, the porridge was too hot,
the judge and the jury awarded her the house, and the bears were
forced into homelessness, somewhere out west.
When we talk about the Abundant Life of Jesus, it sounds too good
to be true. It sounds like Snow White, Prince Charming or
something. But, Jesus DIED to make this happen. And further,
it would make Jesus the meanest sort of person to OFFER such a
life, but then not REALLY let anyone actually live it, like teasing
a child, or animal mercilessly.
So it must be possible, more, it must be HIS desire for ALL who
want it. The picture of this life, I think is found in Luke 5:1-11 and
Gal. 5:22-23. The miraculous catch: He threw the net and the nets
were full, breaking and the boat was sinking under the
ABUNDANCE! The abundance of WHAT? Of: Love, Joy, Peace,
Patience, etc. the fruit of the Spirit.
Are OUR NETS BURSTING, and are our boats sinking under the
weight? "But, Pastor, I would LOVE to live that kind of life, but I
can’t, I’m not that determined, I’ve got lots of problems, I just can’t,"
you may be saying in your mind, "and now you’re making me feel
guilty for NOT living it!"
Well, there’s hope and the questions we used last week can help,
remember: Who does What, When, Why, Where, How, and How
Long?
Questions are great, Jesus used them. Psychologically our brains
are "wired" so that, if we ask a question, we have to find an answer.
Our minds can’t endure unanswered questions; it forces us to think.
For instance, "Why can’t I lose weight?" Our minds will find an
answer, but the nature of this question always yields a NEGATIVE
answer. "Well, because I’m too fat, I have no will power, I’m big
boned, I’m Italian."
Better, "How can I lose weight and enjoy the process?" Much
better! And your mind will answer, "Learn to love vegetables, fruit,
exercise, find a friend, join a gym, etc." Better.
The wise use of questions can do wonders in our battle against
procrastination and many other problems of life.
Jesus is famous for using questions to literally force his ENEMIES
to THINK in his direction. For instance, in Mark 3:1-6, the story
of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand, Jesus asks the
Pharisees, "Is it lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath?" Now
they CAN’T NOT answer this.
They HAVE to say, "Well, to do good!" And in the context, he
says, in effect (this is not a quote, but an inference) "Let’s let God
decide." Jesus then calls the man forward, DOES NOT TOUCH
HIM, lay hands on him, rebuke the affliction, or speak to the illness
in any way! He simply says, "Stretch forth your hand." He did and
it became whole!
Who healed him? God! God answered the question! Both in the
minds of his enemies, and in fact.
When it comes to THE ABUNDANT LIFE, answering all those
questions will yield the information we need to actually live that
life: Who does What, When, Why, Where, How and How Long.
The power of Who, the power of What,
Last week today, the power of When!
But the "power of when," is helped by the power of "Why."
Today, the Power of "Why?!"
Jesus got people "Good and Ready" pretty quickly; really he
DIDN’T wait around very much and he did this by getting them to
see the URGENCY OF THE MOMENT!
Develop a positive, aggressive habit of using the question, "WHY?"
Why SHOULD I do this NOW???!!!
If we can ask and answer this question with enough wisdom and
determination, we will find ourselves DOERS of the word and not
hearers only and we’ll actually live the Abundant Life.
There are many things that can get us answer to the "Why"
question, "to seize the day," among which are the following:
1. Crises. Every time you’re tempted to procrastination, you’re in a
crisis and CRISES CAN MOTIVATE. They help us REALLY
SEE the dangers of procrastination. We must learn to ask
ourselves questions that can heighten our awareness of the Urgency
to do something now.
What if I do this? What if I don’t? Where will I be next year at this
time? Where in 5 years? Ask questions that will move you to
ACTION!
A fact. The largest single group of people in America that practice
daily exercise, health and fitness are those who have had heart
attacks. The "why" question is answered by "or else I die." And,
SUDDENLY, normally sedentary people become fanatics and are
motivated to get out and walk, eat better and really work hard at
fitness on a DAILY BASIS!
2. Kids. Kids present a different sort of "crisis" and questions can
help us here too. What will this mean for them? If I do, if I don’t,
make the questions as dramatic as possible because your kids future
depends on it.
I’ve been called to a principle’s office more than once for my kids;
SUDDENLY, I know I’ve got to do something, had I asked
questions sooner, I might have avoided that embarrassment.
Illus. I heard about a lawyer, typical, shady, deceitful, kind of
lawyer. At home he was different, nice, good, church man, elder at
the local Presb. church, a real hypocrite.
One day he came home early and overheard his son, a 4 year old
boy, in the living room chattering with his friends. They were
talking about "Heroes." All the boys had typical heroes, like John
Wayne, Superman, but his son said, "My dad’s my hero." The man
felt ashamed, he knew the truth. He went out, had a long talk with
God and himself and resolved to BECOME THE MAN HIS SON
THOUGHT HE WAS. Great! Kids can definitely motivate you.
I remember when our daughter Joy was just 3, becoming aware of
life, and my other son, also adopted, and part Korean, was 1. I was
a badly out of shape pastor, pudging out of everything I owned. I
went for a walk on the circle, (a 3rd mile circle where we lived). I
thought about my kids growing up and what image they would have
of their dad.
I looked at myself and asked, "Is this the image you want your kids
to see?" I decided I wanted a more athletic image, so I "took off
running." Well, I ran half way around the circle, 1/6th of a mile,
nearly collapsed, gasped for air; someone has said "A journey of a
thousand miles begins with the first step," for me it was a shuffling
gait vaguely resembling running, but I was resolved. Over the next
few months I became a runner. I ran races, did fairly well, 10 K’s,
20 K’s and a marathon (I came in 3rd in the 1985 Ketchikan
Marathon, of course there were only 3 in the race). My daughter
became a runner, one son a football player, other son track and
cross country. Joy won a 10 K race a couple of years ago. Wow,
Motivation!
Somewhere along the line, we have to find a good answer to the
question, "Why?" "Why should I do this, pray harder, fast, seek,
try, etc.?" "Why should I change?" We must see the crisis as just
that and the answer is always: "I’ve got to do something N O W!"
3. Doing right! Can motivate, too.
"IF YOU DO THE RIGHT THING, YOU’LL FEEL THE RIGHT
WAY." Someone once said. That’s good. We usually wait until
we feel right and then we do.
The question is: WHAT’S THE RIGHT THING?" The right thing
is God’s "THING." Not the gallup poll. When Clinton got caught,
everyone knew what he’d done, yet 65% of Americans said it was
OK, as long as the country was doing all right.
Illus. Rahab. Remember Rahab? She helped the spies of Israel
when they and Joshua were coming to attack Jericho. Now, what
do you think the gallup poll, or wise advisors would have told her to
do in order to survive the Israelites conquest? Leave town, build a
fortress, ignore the threat? God "right thing" for her was to stay IN
THE WALLS. She lived in the Walls of Jericho!!!!! Imagine that!
But that was the right place for her.
The right thing. Peter, in Luke 5, is told to go fish. "But I fished all
night and caught nothing!" "Go fish, Peter!"
The right thing may not FEEL LIKE the right thing.
Illus. Years ago, I worked at a Motel. I worked the night shift and
every day I had to deal with the manager who came in to relieve me.
She hated me, always found fault, criticized without compassion,
and seemed to really have it in for me. She made my life miserable.
I told my wife, Cheryl, and SHE said, "You really ought to do
something NICE!"
"NICE???" I said, "I don’t want to be nice, I want a little revenge."
"Here," Cheryl said, "I’ll make a batch of fudge, you give it to her
and just wait and see."
She did, I gave it to her and a miracle occurred. From that day on,
that lady was NICE! Kind, compassionate, normal. Amazing!
I did the right thing which was God’s thing, reluctantly, with
OPPOSITE FEELINGS, and it changed everyone’s FEELINGS.
YOU WANT TO FEEL BAD, OR GOOD? Ask the question,
"What’s the right, God’s, thing?" Then, Do it, no matter what and
you will feel better and things will probably be better.
4. Move. This is physical therapy with an exclamation point on
physical.
Science has discovered the "body/mind" connection, and it’s
corollary, "the unity of the person." I find this fascinating. But it
seems the mind seeks unity between it’s feelings and it’s actions and
it doesn’t seem to care which starts which; feelings don’t have to go
first!
If you can make your body do something, your mind will seek a
way to make your feelings correspond. What this MEANS is that
if you want to be depressed you can, just let your shoulders sloop,
let your head and eyes rest on the ground, sigh, and act depressed,
and very soon, you will feel just that way.
If you want to feel joyful, look up, smile, do the things you
WOULD DO, if you felt joyful, and your mind will follow suit and
make your feelings match.
Sounds awfully superficial doesn’t it, but it WORKS.
So the questions we need to ask is "What would I do,
PHYSICALLY, if I wanted to be motivated, determined, and not
quit on a spiritual discipline like prayer, fasting, memorizing
scripture, or fitness, dieting, and health?" And then do, whatever
the answer is.
Ultimately answering the "Why" questions of behavior can get us
Good and Ready to Change almost anything.
