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So
you want to be like Christ? Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN Main Theme: This series is designed to take us past the good news of God’s grace! Grace is amazing but it is completely God driven. AFTER salvation comes the task that includes our participation: Becoming more and more Christ-like; the purpose of a Christian’s life! How we grow deeper in love with Jesus requires an intentional lifestyle aimed at becoming godly, not religious! We will look at 8 essential disciplines that will help our relationship with Jesus grow! Today, in our 2nd week, we explore the fact that to know Christ – takes time! We’ll look at the 5 things that clutter our minds and rob us of that precious time, and focus on a key term: Simplify! Why? Because mind clutter leaves insufficient room for devotion to Christ! The truth is this: Simplicity leads to Intimacy! (Based on Chuck Swindoll’s book “So, you want to be like Christ?” and other research.)
1) SET OF THE SAILS! I don’t believe I have ever started a sermon with a poem before – but listen carefully to what this one has to say: (Ella Wheeler Wilcox) One ship drives east and another drives west With the selfsame winds that blow. ’Tis the set of the sails And not the gales Which tells us the way to go. Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate, As we voyage along through life: ’Tis the set of a soul That decides its goal, And not the calm or the strife. This Monday my fishing partner and I watched a sail boat on Lake Washington fly along as a strong North wind blew it South. And later that same boat went by heading North, directly into the wind, using a technique called tacking. Though a land lover sometimes finds it hard to believe, a good skipper knows the poet is right in saying ’Tis the set of the sails and not the gales which tells us the way to go.
2) NOT THE GALES! Chuck Swindoll once wrote, “I have seen the gales of hardship sink one person while pushing another to greatness.” And he spoke of Joni Eareckson Tada who was tragically left a quadriplegic after a diving accident. However she turned her disability into an opportunity to challenge others to rise above and beyond mediocrity despite hardship. Sadly, others with the same physical limitations choose to drown in self-pity. The same circumstances that emotionally cripples one, causes another to be lifted to incredible heights – even greatness. The same winds – but one sets their sails to go North, and the other South. ’Tis the set of the sails and not the gales, which tells us the way to go.
3) TIME! Last week we were reminded that the purpose of a Christian is to become more and more Christ-like each and every day! And that comes by seeking INITMACY with God. But intimacy with God does not come naturally, easily, automatically, or quickly. Fact is, it takes time! Intimacy with God takes time! Learning the disciplines that bring us to that goal …takes time. But “time” is a rare commodity many of us claim to have too little of. And yet, I watch one person in this church grow deeper and closer to their Lord on a daily basis, even in the midst of crisis, while another remains spiritually in the same stagnant place, wondering why they get blown and tossed by the gales of a broken world. Why the difference? Well, one chose to ask God to enable them to work hard to set their sail in a new direction! They asked Christ to empower them not to let the winds of a busy, fast-paced world, blow them around! They opened their heart to the Holy Spirit so as to not let the worldly clutter around them stop them from faithfully setting their course towards traveling with Christ!They discovered that time with God leads to intimacy with God! ’Tis the set of the sails and not the gales, which tells us the way to go.
4) CLUTTERED! Of course, if ‘setting our sails’ towards a deeper, richer intimacy with God was easy, we’d all be there. But honestly recognizing that we are broken people in a broken world, opens our eyes to the things that stand in our way. You and I have cluttered lives! We have cluttered schedules, a cluttered life style, and yes, cluttered minds! And that leaves no time for developing intimacy with God. Unless… you respond today to God’s call to set your sails in a new direction. The Lord is offering you an opportunity to create some major changes in your life, by pointing out the 5 sources of mind clutter common to our 21st century:
5) YES! First, 1) most of us today say “yes” to far too many things. Fact is, we are busier than we need to be! Why? We fear an empty life! And the world scolds us that slowing down, sitting quietly with God, is wasting valuable time! So we say yes to every opportunity that promises activity and busyness. Ironically, the empty void in our hearts just grows larger. A seminary professor once wrote: “Much of our activity today is little more than a cheap anesthetic to deaden the pain of an empty life.” Are you saying yes to far too any things?
6) PLANNING! Second, 2) most of us do not plan time for leisure and rejuvenation! If there are openings in our schedules – we quickly fill them with activity. Is good planning simply the avoidance of overlapping activities? Does spending your life in a tiring and perpetual commute between poorly planned activities add anything godly to our lives? Does it bring us closer to Christ? Ask yourself: when did you last see an empty block of time on your schedule and write down “rest” in the middle of it? We need to plan time for leisure and rejuvenation.
7) ACCOMPLISHMENT! Thirdly, 3) we rarely experience the joy of accomplish-ment. Proverbs 13:19 says “A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul…” But, in rushing off to the next task, we rarely finish the last one or savor a job well done. We’re too hurried to feel the satisfaction we worked so hard and fast to earn.
8) DEBT! Fourthly, 4) most people living in wealthy countries owe more than they can hope to repay. In fact, we are working our way into even greater debt! Credit cards are far too easy to get and abuse! Proverb 22:7 says, “…the borrower is servant to the lender.” Credit cards hold us in bondage and place us in plastic slavery. Our creditors suck the joy out of life and force us to work harder and longer. Often our debts lock us into high paying job that drains us, denying God the freedom to direct our lives. Each of us needs to spend time presenting our needs to God – not the bank – to see what God does with it! Slavery to debt, removes the freedom to follow the Lord on a journey that makes life worthwhile!
9) TECHNOLOGY! And fifthly, 5) most of us fool ourselves into thinking that with technology, we have simplified our lives. Truth is, we have complicated them. It’s not that technology is bad – it’s what we DO with it that messes up our lives. Oh sure, a computer might enable us to get work done in half the time, but do we use the new found time to get closer to God? No! We do twice as much work, so as to become twice as productive! This new “double-the-work” expectation has not loosened our load! We have less unoccupied time than ever! Technology doesn’t set our schedules free, it weighs us down! We need to count the cost before we invest in the next gadget that promises to simplify our life.
10) SIMPLIFY! Henry Thoreau once wrote: “Our life is frittered away in details. Simplify. Simplify.” Look back on last week: how much of your life was frittered away by unimportant, non-life-giving details? The Apostle Paul feared little… and yet he wrote to the church in Corinth, (2nd Cor. 11:3) “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be lead astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” God is speaking to ASLC through these words. Anyone think we are not being lured or seduced away from Christ - our heavenly groom? Satan is subtle, silent, and slow – but very effective! He may not be able to snatch us from the grace and love of God – but he will do everything he can to stop us from helping Jesus build the kingdom! How? By keeping us so tired, so busy, so absorbed in worldly activity that we are of absolutely no heavenly good to Christ! Hence Satan fears the words “Simply. Simplify!”
11) SIMPLICITY! What does it mean to simplify your life? Just this: Turn from sin and pursue a relationship with Christ! Spend your time growing intimate with God! God’s plan for you may not be easy, but it is simple! Focus on Christ before anything else! If something prevents that – toss it out! It won’t fill the void in your heart, or bring you true joy and inner peace! Time spent with Christ brings us the full abundant life we seek! All the great leaders of God throughout history have had a simple goal, and led a simple life: loving and following the Lord. Oh sure, a simple life may mean abandoning some of the qualities and things that the world thinks is essential, but it’s worth it! Martin Luther once said, “Let us get through to God. Give us a basic, dynamic, personal simplicity of faith in Jesus Christ.”
12) GOT NO TIME! Hmmm… are you and I different than the Corinthian church that was being lured away from the simple spiritual life of staying focused on Christ? Do we really live differently than our unchurched neighbors? The amount of time some of us spend focused on Christ would fit into a thimble. For some of us, serving Christ and our neighbors takes a back seat to work, sports, hobbies, entertainment and acquiring and maintaining all the “things” in our lives. Got no time for daily devotions – too busy! Got no time to gather with fellow Christians in a small group and listen to God’s voice speak to us through the scriptures – got to rush to the next scheduled activity. Got no time to discover our spiritual gifts, much less use them to help build the Kingdom – our lives are too complicated, too demanding, too hectic to help Jesus change the world one heart at a time.
13) EMPTY! If that describes us, then it also means our lives are too empty. Busy and cluttered – but empty. This can be fixed through the discipline of simplicity! Seeking Christ, following Christ, walking and talking with Christ! Some here are learning to do just that, (living that faithful and simple life) and God is blessing them - and others through them! They have set their sails to follow Christ. But others of us are still being blown around by the winds of a cluttered life. Why is it that the average Lutheran church struggles to get 1/3 of it’s membership to worship during the week? Why is it that church leaders cannot find enough volunteers to make a greater impact on our community? Why is it that Sunday School classes and youth programs can’t get parents to encourage participation in church activities, and yet the city recreation and sport centers are filled to capacity? Do we want ourselves and the next generation to have lives that are busy and cluttered, but empty?
14) CHOICE! We always have a choice! So, one spiritual sailor chooses to ‘set their sail’ in a new direction, simplify their life, and seek to be Christ-like! It doesn’t feel natural at first, and requires new disciplines and hard work, but the ship slowly begins to move in ways that gives meaning and godly purpose to their life! The second spiritual sailor chooses to let the winds of busyness and clutter occupy their lives – keeping a blind eye to the emptiness it contains, constantly rationalizing why they cannot find the time to grow closer to Christ! When they crash upon the rocks of despair and brokenness, they throw up their hands in defense and ask, “What could I have done to prevent it?” Are other Christians just “luckier”? Or have shipwrecked Christians simply failed to realize that “too much clutter in your mind leaves insufficient room for devotion.” …or that living a life of spiritual simplicity is a choice. …investing time and the energy to cultivate a depth of devotion to God is a choice! See, it’s in how you choose daily to set your sails!
15) TIME TODAY! One day, your heart will cease to beat, and you will be standing before the Lord to give an account of your life. Don’t worry – your eternal destiny is not at stake here! Unless you turned you back on God, heaven awaits you. But as you stand face to face with Jesus, and reflect back on your life, consider these two questions:1) Did you spend adequate time with Jesus? That is, did you spend lots of private time – alone with Him? If the honest answer is “no” – then maybe today is the day to start setting your sails in a new direction. Maybe today is the day when you ask God to help you simplify your schedule so that you spend 15 uninterrupted minutes with God daily! …time away from people, away from Television, away from everything and everyone but God! Why not today?
16) NO! Believe me, it’s not easy – Pastors also struggle to make private devotions a priority! There’s always a ‘good reason’ to leave the Master’s feet to go do His work – or so we tell ourselves. So to protect ourselves, we all need to learn to use a little word regularly in our vocabulary: No! We can make our lives as complicated or as simple as we desire with a kind, polite, respectful, yet all important “No.” And perhaps it is even time to back out of a few things to which you already have said “yes”. Oh sure, some folks will think you are a quitter. But keep your eye on the goal, prepare to be misunderstood, respond with kindness, and remain firm. Your “no” to others, will soon translate into “yes” for God!
17) CLUTTER WITHIN! Life reflection question # 2) Did you become a cluttered person within? Oh sure, externally many of us have cluttered desks, briefcases, closets, trunks, or garages? How many of us would have to clean off the car seat before we could offer someone a ride? But many of us also have minds that are just as cluttered. No room, no quiet space, no time for God! Our minds are so cluttered with the trivial – that simple devotion to our Maker feels like a wistful luxury we can never afford! If so, it’s time for some spring cleaning! To remove the clutter within, just choose to ask God to help you set your sails concerning your devotional life in a new direction! He will help you with your private life!
18) GLORY TO GOD! AND… with your public life! Remember, when Jesus came to the end of His earthly ministry, He said, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) That’s a focused and uncluttered life! He did nothing to complicate the mission, He kept His ministry simple and according to God’s will! With his last breathe, He said, “It is finished.” He had no regrets; there was nothing left for Him to do on earth. Mission accomplished! So ask yourself: have you brought glory to God on earth by being about the work He gave you to do? Will you leave this earth knowing you accomplished all you were sent to do?
19) POSSESSIONS! Here’s another “public life” question: Are too many material possessions draining our energy, leaving us exhausted, and maybe even resentful? Face it: our possessions tend to own us, not the other way around. Simplifying may mean getting out from under some of our possessions that require so much of our time, talent, and treasures that God intended us to use elsewhere! If possessions become burdens and not blessings - give them away! Simplify!
20) OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES! Let’s also ask: Are outside activities stealing time from those within the home? When our family’s memories of us center around our going or returning from work or other outside activities – we have fallen into a trap we will regret later on! If you’re convinced that the best way to love your family is to nurture a career that will ensure a stable, sizable income – providing security and comfort – then you have NOT been spending time with God, listening to His priorities for your life! It’s time to simplify! It’s time to realize that children spell love “t-i-m-e”. So does God! He measures the depth of our love for Him by how much time we spend with Him! If outside activities hinder the growth of our divine and family relationships – they have to go! We will be no less rich having given up a few unnecessary outside commitments to be at home with God and family!
21) MISSION! Friends, Christ is here today to call you to a simple mission: that is, grow a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him! …to give Him glory in all we say and do! He wants to empower you to get rid of the clutter, the busyness, the unnecessary activities that keep you from finding time to be with Him and those He loves! See, it takes time to become intimate with God! So Christ is here now to empower you to become more and more Christ-like – your mission in life!
22) THE WAY TO GO! The poem told us: ’Tis the set of the sails And not the gales Which tells us the way to go. Are you going where Jesus wants you to go, or are the gales of a complicated life pushing you away from the best destination? The Lord lovingly asks you to open your heart! Allow Him to do what you cannot do for yourself: simplify! Jesus offers this precious gift, this discipline of simplicity – that through it you might have more time, not less! After all… “Intimacy with God” takes time! And there is nothing more lasting, more satisfying, or more rewarding than an intimate relationship with God! So rejoice - because the Spirit is entering in to set your sails to go in a new direction: for life was never meant to be cluttered or complicated! Intimacy with God is given through the Spirit-inspired exercise of simplicity! For simplicity helps Jesus show us the way to go!
Praise God!
AMEN
Note: The other disciplines we will explore: 3) Silence and solitude, 4) Surrender, 5) Prayer, 6) Humility, 7) Self-control, and 8) Sacrifice.
Sermon/Confessional Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that far too often our minds and our lives are filled with worldly clutter that prevents us from focusing on our purpose in life: becoming more Christ-like each and every day. We have complicated our life and filled it with busyness and constant activity that does nothing to bring us closer to you. Forgive us for the countless excuses we have used for not finding a quiet place each day and spending time with you – sharing our concerns and listening to your life-giving word. Lord, we have let our lives be lead astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to you. Forgive us, and empower us now to turn from sin and pursue a more intimate relationship with You! Help us through the discipline of simplicity to bring glory to You on earth by being about the true work You gave us to do. Help us to control our possessions and plan our activities that we may be free to spend time intentionally growing and enjoying an intimate relationship with you. And now Lord, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, healed, and recommitted to you! (made anew.) (Silence) Lord, if it were easy to follow the discipline of simplicity, we would have done it long ago. So we sincerely bow before you and ask that you enter into our hearts and empower us to do what we cannot do by ourselves. Help us to set our sails in a new direction, and set our course on a journey that draws us closer to you. In Jesus Name We Pray. AMEN Assurance of Forgiveness: Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord, who offers you the life-giving discipline of simplicity, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, and remember: You have mercifully and lovingly been invited to KNOW GOD! May the precious gift of simplicity take you to the next level of intimacy, that the abundant life Christ desires you to have becomes a reality! Praise God! AMEN Opening prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, this week we walked once again through a world cluttered with busyness, activities, and distractions that have kept us from focusing on our purpose in life: growing closer to you. And yet, miraculously you have not tired of trying to reach us. And you praise you for motivating us to walk into this Holy Place this morning, that we might find the time forget the world and instead sit face to face with you and receive your love, embrace, and blessings. Because our lives are anything but simple, we come seeking the wisdom and healing that only you can give. Because a world of sin has distracted and influenced us to stray from following only you, we seek the forgiveness and cleansing only you can provide. Because brokenness surrounds us, we seek your ability to fix what is wrong within us and around us. Only you Lord can comfort, renew, and transform us into the Christ-like children you want us to be. Draw us closer, embrace us in love and truth, and develop within us a faith that brings you glory in everything we say and do. In Jesus Name We Pray! AMEN! |
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