GO AHEAD MAKE MY DAY
Who Makes Your Day?
Is it your family?
Is it your friends?
Is it other people?
Or is it Jesus?
Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
SO WHO IS MAKING YOUR DAY?
LET’S LOOK AT FAMILY
We can’t all be like Glenn we are not all born into the perfect family!
Have you ever said to yourself if only I had been born into such and such’s family
I’d have all these things that would make for a better life.
We look at families that have great wealth and desire the things that they have.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about this.
Philip. 4:11-13 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: [12] I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. [13] I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
And again in 1 Timothy 6:6-9
1 Tim. 6:6-9 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. [7] For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. [8] And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. [9] But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
You see riches come and go but God’s Word endures forever.
When we put God first in our life and make Him the source of our happiness then it won’t matter what natural family we were born into!
If we accept Him as Lord and Saviour we are Born Again into His Family
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Are you relying on your family to make your day?
Allow God to make your day by being born again into His Family!
ARE YOU RELYING ON FRIENDS TO MAKE YOUR DAY
Praise God for godly friends they will make your day
Are you lonely
Loneliness is everywhere—many people feel cut off and alienated from others. Being in a crowd just makes people more aware of their isolation. We all need friends who will stick close, listen, care, and offer help when it is needed—in good times and bad. It is better to have one such friend than dozens of superficial acquaintances. Instead of wishing you could find a true friend, seek to become one. There are people who need your friendship. Ask God to reveal them to you, and then take on the challenge of being a true friend.
Proverbs 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
But remember it often only takes one offence to turn that person away from you.
It is great having friends but sadly friends often let us down
Ask any child going to school how many times their friends have let them down.
I know some of their friendships are shallow but they aren’t to them.
One day they are the best of friends with someone the next day they are the worst of enemies.
Sadly this can carry over into adult life. Feuds between friends have kept people apart much like family feuds have kept families apart for years. Even worse this has kept supposed brothers and sisters in the Lord apart as well.
I have always said that if you can’t get on with someone down here how are you going to get on with them in eternity?
David had trouble with friends
Psalm 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
Psalm 55:12-14 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. [13] But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. [14] We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng.
Even Jesus had trouble with friends
Matthew 26:55-56 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. [56] But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Instead of looking to friends to make our day we need to do what it says in:
Hebrews 12:2-3 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Don’t become discouraged look unto Jesus to make your day.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT OTHER PEOPLE TO MAKE YOUR DAY?
We leave home and head of to work. Say you are travelling in your own car, you head out on your way to work and another car cuts you off. You blast your horn and mouth a few expletives. Already you have allowed someone else to make your day.
You then go from bad to worse as you pull out and try to overtake the person who cut you off you forget to look at your speedo
and flash a speed camera takes a pretty picture of your car.
Or perhaps you caught the bus and you have been standing in line and about to get on the bus when this person pushes in front of you and gets the last seat causing you to have to stand all the way.
Some people would call this a bad hair day!
Who’s running your life?
Who’s making your day
Anyone you react to.
If we respond to other people with graciousness and kindness, it goes from being our problem to becoming their problem. Don’t let others decide how you are going to live.
I read a story a short time back about a grandfather who was walking down the streets of the city with his grandson.
On the sidewalk they passed a woman reputed to be the town prostitute. The grandfather graciously doffed his hat to the woman as they passed by.
The young boy said, "Why’d you do that to that kind of woman?"
The old grandfather replied, "I don’t know what kind of woman she is. All I know is that I’m a gentleman."
You see, it doesn’t matter who you pass on the street.
It doesn’t matter what kind of people you work with.
It doesn’t really matter who you’re married to. That’s not the issue. The issue is,
who are you allowing to control your life
My opening Scripture was
Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
GOD HAS GIVEN ALL OF US A CHOICE
We can choose Family, Friends, Other people and even circumstances to make our day or we can choose The Way Truth & Life to make our day
His Name is Jesus
He made the first day why don’t you allow Him to make your day
Genesis 1:1-5 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. [3] Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. [4] And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
John tells us
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. [4] In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
When family, friends and other people let you down
Jesus says I’ll be your friend
John 15:14-15 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. [15] No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
It comes with a proviso that is we must keep His commandments but they are not burdensome.
1 John 3:23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
My friends this takes a choice we must choose first to believe in Jesus, believe in who He is and what He has done for us. For the second choice we must all make we need to look at Matthew:
Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, ’You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, [45] that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? [48] Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. Instead Jesus said we should do good to those who wrong us!
Our desire should not be to keep score, but to love and forgive.
This is not natural, It is supernatural.
Only God can give us the strength to love as He does.
Instead of planning vengeance, pray for those who hurt you.
My challenge to you this morning is
GO AHEAD MAKE THE LORD’S DAY!
