I’m So Confused _Where Do I Start?
From the series: Representing Jesus Well
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Last week I received this story in an email from My Aunt Olga: "I was supposed to play for a graveside service. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.
"I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and it looked like the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.
"The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played my heart and soul out for this man with no family or friends. I played like I'd never played before for this homeless man. As I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept... we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car.
"My head hung low but my heart was full. As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years." I muttered to myself _ apparently, I'm still lost..."
On Independence Day I spoke about the great need for revival in the church in America and that as a church we must do our part by representing Jesus well. Then last week I spoke about representing Jesus well by lovingly using the gifts God has given us. The problem is that sometimes we get confused about where and how to start that process.
The key to revival is simple _ put Christ at the very center of every area of our lives. Here’s the problem: Sometimes we try to run ahead of God thus we make things more difficult than they need to be. Here’s a solution: Step back _ look at the big picture _ and go back to the basics.
When Peter was near the end of his life he wrote a letter so that we would know the basics _ so that we would represent Jesus well _ so that we would be better equipped to prepare people for The Day of Jesus’ return.
Turn to 2 Peter 1 and follow along as I read. Let’s pick up with verse 3… "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have." (2 Peter 1:3-12)
Today I am going to remind you of some things you already know. What we are going to do is look at a couple very basic things that will put us in a position to do the things Peter told us we need to be doing to advance the cause of Christ more effectively.
In order to win, any team in any sport has to stick to the fundamentals. A good player is good because the fundamentals are practiced over and over and over again until it is as natural as breathing. It's the same way in the spiritual life. There are certain fundamentals that we must practice over and over and over again until it as natural as breathing. Peter mentioned those in verses 5-7 _ faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
Let’s try a little experiment _ every one hold your breath as long as you can… I watched you and before you held your breath you took a big gulp of air. I think that’s what we do sometimes when it comes to our walk with Christ. We come on Sunday morning thinking we can take a big gulp of Jesus and then get by until the next Sunday. That just won’t work. Just like we need a steady diet of air to live physically _ we need a steady diet of Jesus to live spiritually.
This morning I want to remind you of how to get a steady supply of spiritual air _ a steady diet of Jesus _ it’s back to the basics _ it’s a preamble to the spiritual qualities of life Peter mentioned _ faith, goodness, love, etc. Our 1st breath is…
Prayer
Prayer is not difficult. Praying is simply talking and listening to God _ it’s a crucial part of Christian living. Prayer is an incredible privilege. Just think, we can spend time with the creator of the universe.
The person that has taught me more about praying than anyone else is Jesus. What were His praying habits? In Mark 1 we read, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) In Luke 5 we see that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)
What that teaches me is that if praying regularly was important for Jesus then it’s a “duh” that it should be important for his followers. So we need to establish a prayer habit _ setting aside a time each day when we get alone to speak and listen to God without interruption.
One time when things weren’t going so well with Judah God told the prophet Jeremiah: “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you _ plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12)
God is telling us the very same thing in 2010. But before we go off half-cocked listen to the qualifier. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
Let me ask you something: “Have you been breathing foul air? What pieces of your heart have you kept for yourself? What sinful desires have you been unwilling to let go of?” If we want our prayers to be effective we need to seek God with all of our heart.
I think sometimes we are like canned mushrooms _ we give bits and pieces rather than the whole thing. God wants our whole heart not bits and pieces. When we pray we are acknowledging our dependence upon God _ when we pray we are representing Jesus well.
If we are ever going to make a difference in our world we must pursue intimacy with God by praying regularly _ by talking and listening to God. Jesus said that His house is to be a house of prayer _ that is this house (our bodies) and this house (this church). So let’s all take a big gulp of spiritual air by praying regularly. OK, the 2nd breath is…
Bible Study
Last week I told you that God told Joshua to be strong and courageous as they entered The Promised Land. He also told him this... “Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8)
How many of you want to be prosperous _ how about successful? How many want this church to be successful? I think we all do. But if we really, really want it then we need to get the Word of God into our minds and hearts and lives. I enjoy reading as many of you do. But we need to be careful what we read because sometimes we breathe into our lives things that can make us sick.
When we open the Word with an attitude of "Lord, speak to me" we are breathing God’s life giving word _ it empowers us and guides us in our daily lives.
You know how mouth to mouth resuscitation works _ out with the bad and in with the good. The Bible gives fresh breath in place of things we deal with everyday _ things like: out of control anger, bad attitudes, bragging, complaining, criticism, discouragement, emptiness, fear, gossip, greed, grieving, guilt, grumbling, injustice, insecurity, laziness, loneliness, misuse of money, lack of patience, possession worship, false pride, wrong priorities, procrastination, bad reputation, self-pity, stress, suffering, worries _ on and on we could go.
In the Bible we learn about things we should always do and things we should never do. We learn how to react when others don’t love us. We discover compassion, how to handle criticism, family life, forgiveness, friendship, overcoming jealousy, justice, parenting, how to deal with peer pressure, popularity, prejudice, resentment, revenge, siblings. It’s all there if we will just look.
The Bible also talks about the way to deal with hot topics we face today: abortion, spousal and child abuse, cheating, creation, dating, depression, divorce, drinking, homosexuality, lust, lying, the occult, partying, pornography, purity, smoking, stealing, suicide, swearing, temptation, violence.
Maybe some of you are worried about the future. Well, the Bible talks about that too: decision making, the end of the world, death, life, fear, goal setting, heaven, hell, life after death, marriage, trust, wisdom. It’s all in there.
We learn about things that we just have to trust God for: abilities, angels, choices, church, courage, discernment, overcoming doubts, expectations, forgiveness, just who is God anyway, judgment, persistence, praise, prayer, priorities, protection, salvation, dealing with the devil, second coming of Jesus, serving others, success, taking a stand, truth, witnessing. The Bible teaches us about faith and faithful living.
Colossians 2:7 sums it up this way, “Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous…"
It’s time for our society to hear what God has to say but they will only hear it if we tell them. Paul said, “How can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14) And by the way the preaching doesn’t have to be from a pulpit and it doesn’t have to be done by a “professional” and it definitely doesn’t have to be done obnoxiously.
There is so much to be learned from the Bible but the best part is that we get to know God through His word. Nothing can compare with the ringing conviction of a “Thus saith the Lord.” So let’s all take a big gulp of spiritual air by reading and studying and meditating the Bible regularly.
Wrapping Up:
If you have confusion in your life I gave you two places to get a breath of fresh air _ prayer and study of God’s word. But simply knowing something doesn’t save you anymore than knowing you are supposed to play bagpipes for a memorial gets it done.
If you are lost there is only one way to be saved _ that way is Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We are going to close this service with an invitation. As I listed the many things that can be discovered from God’s Word one of the things mentioned is salvation. In Acts 4:12 we find the source of our salvation _ “Salvation is found in no one else (and that “no one else” is Jesus) for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
The oxygen tank that gets Jesus into our lives is always available. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off __ for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39)
God has called every one of us to receive His saving grace. Take a deep breath of Jesus by giving your life to Him then begin the process of representing Jesus well.
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