Title: “Encounter the Possibilities”
Text: Eccl. 9:4-10
Theme: Going all out
Key thought: With God, this could be a phenomonal year if we will dare to encounter the possibilities.
Turn with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 9. With God, this year could be phenomenal if we will dare to encounter the possibilities.
In fact, that phrase, “encounter the possibilites,” is the short tag line that we will use when promoting Word of Life.
It is our vision statement wrapped up in a nutshell.
Over the next couple of months we will be looking at and breaking down each part of the vision that God has placed before us.
Let’s look at it real quick:
Our Mission: to be a community where every individual will have opportunity to encounter the Living God and fulfill the purpose He created them for.
Our Scripture: Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” (NLT)
Our Values: Relationships, integrity, excellence, servanthood, cultural relevance
Our Initiatives:
• Equip for growth (individual, family, corporate)
• Empower for ministry (each one fulfill God’s purpose)
• Encounter God (Word, Worship, Walk)
• Expand our reach (compassion, community involvement, missions)
• Excellence in all we do (God deserves the best)
Our Tag: …encounter the possibilities…
I firmly believe that this year will be a watershed year for us as we go all out and trust God for what He has.
When I was in Phoenix AZ reaching out in the projects to the children and teens, the area was literally run by the gangs.
People were scared
There were drive-by shootings
drug deals and fights and murders on a regular basis.
And there was something I found in the children and in the teens that ripped me to the very core of my being, they had no hope.
If you were to ask them what their dream was, what they wanted to be when they grew up
They would say, “I don’t know” or “Nothing” or that they just wanted to live long enough to graduate high school. They lived in complete despair.
That is where much of our world is at - living in complete despair. Without hope.
For many, this day is not one of joy and renewed hope, because their hope is lost
The New Year is not exciting and full of celebration, because it means another year has passed and things haven’t changed or have gotten worse.
1. It doesn’t have to be that way because - Praise God, there is hope!
[Eccl. 9:4-10]
As long as there is life, there can be a dream, the anticipation of a new plan, a second chance, there’s love, there’s purpose. In a word - there is hope!
Now if we read the first several chapters of Eccl and even the first verses of this one, we could groan and say, “that’s life! That’s just the way it is!” {sigh} and take a gloomy approach to what Solomon is saying.
Unfortunately, this is what many do.
They take on a pessimistic, jaded, cynical view of people and the world.
Christians may be the worst at this because we focus on the sin and depravity and proclaim the glass is almost empty.
While there is some truth in this, we must learn to see the potential that exists, the possibilities that are before us.
Remember, where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.
We don’t have to look around and see the despair and so become despaired, we can look around and see the despair and say, “Not even this is beyond the power of God.”
And then we roll up our sleeves and begin to do something about it.
Full of hope in the awesome ability of God
Again, look at verse seven - it begins, “Go” He is telling us to read on.
To go on.
Live life. Do something
As a professor of Christian Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Ken Gangel says, “have a blast while you last.”
verse “[7] Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.”
Whenever I have played any sport, football, volleyball, basketball, softball, whatever – I have found it to be much more enjoyable when I was in the game.
No matter how muddy or dusty, it was a blast to play, but not as much fun sitting on the bench watching.
2. Life is not a sentence that God has leveled against us. God is not angry with us.
Too many people picture God as this old man with a long beard and a frown.
He has a club with a big railroad spike driven through it and He’s looking at us - to get us!
No, that’s not God.
He is a smiling, open-armed Father & Friend, who already accepts us & loves us unconditionally.
[John 10:10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
[Jer. 33:6] "`Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it {the land}; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.
These are the Words of a loving God who approves of us.
Why? I mean, how can God approve of us?
Because we are bought with a price, if we have accepted Him, we are in Christ & Christ is in us.
God wants us to live in complete joy wherever we are.
John 16:24 “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete”, so I say, “live it up!”
Now I can just hear some of you thinking, “Yes! Just what I’ve been waiting for, a green light - free and easy hedonism, here I come! It’s about time a preacher told me I could do whatever I want!”
That is not at all what I am saying!
Let’s look at verse [8] Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.
Obviously, this is not saying that we are to physically dress all in white and walk around with oil dripping down our heads.
The white is symbolic of living a life of purity and godliness, and the oil is the power of the Spirit of God flowing through us.
Again, God wants us to enjoy life and live it to the full, but the only true way to do that free of guilt and free of the bondages of sin is to live in obedience to His Word, holy and righteous before Him.
We want a mighty move of God in our lives and I am here to tell you that it begins with repentance and is sustained by holiness.
And in that way of life that He has set before us, there is joy unspeakable and full of glory!
This doesn’t mean life will be without sorrows or struggles, on the contrary, life is full of sorrows, the Word of God even tells us this, but if we are following God’s will while we are going through life’s troubles, then “the joy of the LORD is [our] strength."
3. Verse 10 of Eccl 9 goes on to say; [10] Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might...”
I see no limitations here! Whatever you choose to do in life, do it with everything that is in you.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Don’t hold back in anything you do.
Don’t put off living to some day in the future, live now, enjoy this life that God has given us now.
Enjoy your family, your friends.
There is a contagious enthusiasm in the way we are to live our lives in Christ.
When someone is excited about life, others around them tend to get excited.
Life becomes infectiously joyful, filled with hope.
Not perfect of course, but full of the joy of the Lord.
A couple of years ago, Hardees had an ad campaign that said, “if you’re gonna go, go all out.”
If you say you are a Christian and are living for God, than LIVE FOR GOD!
Give Him your all - He deserves it!
Don’t see how close you can get to the ways of the world, see how close you can get to God!
If you are gonna go, go all out!
That is what it means to “Give it the Kutasch.”
Charles Swindoll tells a story of when he and his sister would go fishing with their dad and grandfather.
There was a man who sat on the pier with the last name of Kutasch. As the story goes, he was a very unusual man and fished accordingly. With the slightest bobble of his cork, he would jerk his line right out of the water so fast that if there had been a fish on it, the hooked would have ripped out the side of its mouth ... and had it survived, it would have certainly gotten away. For years, Charles and his sister watched this man fish and never did they see him catch one. But he never gave up and he always gave it his all. And so it came to be that whenever one of them was going through something or needed motivation the other told them to “Give it the Kutasch.”
And so I say to you –
Is your Marriage in trouble? Give it the Kutasch, don’t give up and pursue it with all your might
Have a challenge in front of you?
Facing an unsure future?
Dealing with sickness?
Financial problems?
Give it the Kutasch! Live for God and trust Him to take care of it.
Whatever you are facing, God is saying, “Don’t give up” Give it to Him and He will guide you and help you and give you what you need.
And when you step forward in faith do it with all your might.
There is an organization near Chicago with approximately 12,000 members
It requires each one of its members to give up one day’s earnings every week which averages out to about $110 per person equaling about $1.3 mil a week to further their cause.
When a person joins this organization they must agree to stand up for their organization and those in it to the point that they sell out to it completely making an oath that they would die for the cause.
They unconditionally accept what they are told to do and obey without hesitation the leadership of this organization.
Their entire life revolves around this organization so that even what they wear identifies who they are black & gold - this organization is known as the Latin Kings - a street gang.
These people have sold out to this gang and don’t care who knows and are willing to die for it.
We serve the God and Creator of the universe –
are we willing to sell out and unconditionally accept what He has for us?
are we willing to go all out?
will we Give it the Kutasch and live for God?
Do we dare to encounter the possibilities?
With God, this year could be phenomenal if we will dare to encounter the possibilities.
Please Stand
Some of you need to come to this altar and make a once and for all commitment to Christ this morning - you’ve not been giving Him everything, you’ve been holding back.
There are some that have never made a commitment to live for God and you want to have a personal relationship with Him, you need to meet someone right over here in this corner on my right.
Some of you have lost your joy and sense of excitement for life and for God and need to rekindle things with God tonight.
Others feel like you have no direction and you need God’s guidance need to know His purpose, His direction tonight.
I invite you to come, no raising of your hands, no fanfare, just come, start 2006 off right, and… encounter the possibilities…
