WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED THIS YEAR?
NR 12/30/12 Ready, Set, GROW!!So, here we are at the end of another year. They go by faster and faster. What did you expect at the beginning of 2012? What happened that you didn’t expect?
Let’s look for a moment at the thought of expectations. Some people expect others must take care of their every desire.
Entitlement Mindset Produces Ingratitude
The bigger our sense of entitlement, the smaller our sense of gratitude …. [Our entitlement mindset] has led to a proliferation of lawsuits: when we don’t get something we really want, we sue somebody.
For example:
The San Francisco Giants were sued for passing out Father’s Day gifts to men only.
A psychology professor sued for sexual harassment because of the presence of mistletoe at a Christmas party.
A psychic was awarded $986,000 when a doctor’s CAT scan impaired her psychic abilities. You have to wonder about this third one: If she really was a psychic, shouldn’t she have known not to go to that doctor in the first place?
Dan Baker and Cameroun Stauth, What Happy People Know (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2004), page 161
I assume this past week there were many fulfilled and unfulfilled expectations when it came to receiving gifts.
Just for a smile: Mother “Fails” Parenting Class
When our daughter, Kathy, was participating in a parenting class at her church, she explained to her 6-year-old daughter, Kayla, that she was taking a course to help make her a better mommy. The next Sunday, after church, Kayla became upset and had a tantrum because she was not getting her way. Both parents tried to calm her. But with tears streaming down her face and in a loud voice, Kayla announced to her mother, “You told me you were taking a course to make you a better mommy. Well, it’s not working!”
Shirley Ratcliff, “Kids of the Kingdom,” Christian Reader (July/August 2003)
The end of the year is a god time to look back. Let’s look back at message from January 1, 2012 (a few highlights)
Growing - GET READY TO GROW
Ready, Set, GROW!
Facts About the Redwood Tree
Up to 350 feet in height, coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth. Commonly known as redwoods and officially known as Sequoia sempervirens, Latin for forever living. Redwoods grow only on one narrow 450-mile strip of land that stretches from the northern coast of California into Oregon.
Redwoods have an average life span of 500 to 700 years, but some trees have been known to live 2,000 years.
Redwoods thrive in the moist climate of the Northern California region which often records more than 100 inches of rainfall a year. Scientists estimate that a large redwood can hold 34,000 pounds of water.
Redwoods are evergreen conifers, trees that produce cones such as pines and spruces. Rather than leaves, they have green needles that they retain year round. Redwoods reproduce either from seeds similar in size to those found in a tomato, or from spouts that emerge from the forest’s complex root system. Known as one of the world’s the fastest growing trees, redwoods can gain five to seven feet in height each year.
Redwoods can grow up to 22 feet in diameter. The cinnamon-colored bark that gives the trees their name is usually 12 inches thick, and protects redwoods from insects, birds and fungus. Their bark, which contains plenty of water-based sap, also protects the trees from forest fires. Although redwoods have no natural predators, they have a shallow root system that digs roughly 10 to 13 feet into the ground before spreading 60 to 80 feet outward. Those roots would normally put such tall trees in danger of being ripped free and toppled by high winds. However, each tree intertwines is roots with those of nearby trees, adding strength and stability to the group or grove.
http://www.ehow.com/about_6362654_redwood-tree.html By Laura Scott, eHow Contributor
Amazing growth is possible because of the Creator. Anything that He says should grow will grow because of His power, creativity and provision. That growth includes every one who is a believer in Jesus, anyone who wants to learn and apply the Biblical promises in their life.
Did you grow this year?
Did you think about growing?
Did you make any efforts to grow?
Do you know that the enemy will do all he can to keep you from growing?
Note how the huge redwoods make it: each tree intertwines is roots with those of nearby trees, adding strength and stability to the group or grove.
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
This passage is commonly known as the Great Commission. It is the challenge to the church to not just sit there, but to get out and do what it takes to reach people with the good news of Jesus. Note the first word of the passage: Go. The church is not to hide, but get out to where people are to tell them of Jesus.
Make Disciples. A disciple is a learner, a follower. So, we are to do what it takes to see that we, and then others, become real followers of Jesus, following and applying what He taught. Jesus said we are to teach people to observe all things He commanded. So, we are to teach and apply what the Bible says. That is our commission from Jesus.
In order to do this, we must continually grow and mature spiritually. Not be stagnant.
We must continue to:
learn more and apply it.
reach out to others with God’s Good News
show them how they can enjoy the blessings and privileges of what Jesus paid for when He came to this earth.
This year we introduced a process of continual spiritual growth we call: Connect2Life. C2L is a daily Bible reading plan. It challenges a person to read a chapter and then answer three questions.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
3. How can I help someone?
As I have been doing this regularly it has caused me to really think about what I’m reading. I can’t comment on everything in every chapter. But, I am forced to think about what it is saying and dwell on the practical aspects of the Christian life.
**What does God want me to be doing?
**How does the Bible influence daily life?
**How does my Christian life impact other people?
I know that some of you have been participating in Connect2Life. The beginning of the year is a time when people often start a new Bible reading plan. If you have not been following C2L I encourage you to jump in. If you follow the plan, in one year you will have read the New Testament and have written something about every chapter.
A key point to remember as we have been giving an emphasis this year to growing: Growing spiritually comes as we put in the effort. The effort includes faithful and consistent church attendance. It takes advantage of all the opportunities we have: Sunday School, services, mid-week Bible study, etc. The more effort we put in the more we will learn and grow. It should be said of all of us that we are growing Christians.
Discipleship is learning. But, we must start with learning the basics. We build on them, they are important.
Coach Wooden Started with Socks
Players gathering for the first day of basketball practice at UCLA were full of anticipation. They wondered how their coach, John Wooden, would set the tone for the long season to come. They didn’t have to wait long.
Veterans knew what was coming. But first year players were no doubt perplexed by the initial lesson imparted by their Hall of Fame coach: He taught them how to put on a pair of socks. He did not teach this lesson only once, but before every game and practice. Why?
Wooden discovered many players didn’t properly smooth out wrinkles in the socks around their heels and little toes. If left uncorrected, these wrinkles could cause blisters that could hamper their performance at crucial times during games. Many players thought the practice odd and laughed about it then. Wooden knew some of them continued to laugh. But the coach would not compromise on this basic fundamental principle: “I stuck to it. I believed in that, and I insisted on it.” John Wooden was one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game.
In our desire to grow as Christians, we can easily forget about the fundamentals of our faith. If we do, we run the risk of developing painful spiritual blisters that can hurt us as we run our race. Discipleship - Keep the focus on Jesus and what He taught.
Lee Dean, Griffith, Indiana; source: espn.go.com/page2/s/questions/wooden
Are you really familiar with the teachings of Jesus, of the Bible? It is full of wisdom and practical instructions. I want to emphasize the importance of actually doing what you learn. Christianity is not just a bunch of theory, but must be lived out.
We are called to be servants of the Lord. Jesus taught on the principle of being a servant. He said we need to follow that principle.
John 13:12-17 NKJV
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
Servants Must Be Prepared for Home Owner’s Visits
There was a fabulously wealthy American newspaper publisher named James Gordon Bennett. In 1835 Bennett started The New York Herald. He had two lavish apartments in Paris, plus a French country estate and a yacht harbored in Europe. He also had three homes in the U.S. even though he hadn’t lived in the country for over ten years. But the servants in each of his homes always needed to be prepared for Bennett’s unexpected arrival. Author Jill Jones wrote: “Each [house] was fully staffed, ready to serve Bennett should he stride in the front door unannounced—the wine cellars were kept stocked, fires roared in the grates, and sheets were turned down nightly.”
Jesus calls us to be similarly ready for his sudden return. He also calls us to be constantly ready to serve. Jesus was always ready to serve when needed. We must be ready as well.
Jill Jones, Eiffel's Tower (Viking Adult, 2009), p. 199
Paul expressed the reality of Jesus’ servanthood in his letter to the church at Philippi.
Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. It was not too big of a sacrifice for Jesus to leave heaven to come to earth. He took a lowly position, the place of a servant. He humbled himself and was obedient.
Servants look for something to do.
Latin American theologian Rene Padilla remembers vividly one of his early encounters with Bible teacher John Stott.
The previous night we had arrived in Bariloche, Argentina, in the middle of heavy rain. The street was muddy and, as a result, by the time we got to the room that had been assigned to us our shoes were covered with mud. In the morning, as I woke up, I heard the sound of a brush—John was busy, brushing my shoes. “John!,” I exclaimed full of surprise, “What are you doing?”
“My dear René,” he responded, “Jesus taught us to wash each other’s feet. You do not need me to wash your feet, but I can brush your shoes.”
Tim Stafford, “John Stott Has Died,” Christianity Today (7-27-11)
Matthew 10:24-25 NKJV
24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!
Jesus went through a long list of extremely difficult situations. He stuck with the purpose of His life. He obeyed the will of the Father. We are not above going through the battles of life to do the will of God.
The Apostle Paul also understood the concept of being a servant, a bond-slave to Jesus.
Titus 1:1-2 NKJV
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
Again, the author calls himself a servant.
Question: what’s the purpose of serving? Give help, encouragement, promote the Master. The servant does what the Master wants.
Paul wrote about the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. Our knowledge of the truth must go beyond gathering facts. Disciples of Jesus, His servants, must have Godliness growing in their lives. Godliness is the result of discipleship.
Question for disciples: Are they impacting the lives of others that they also are living Godly and following the truth of the Bible?
Another question: Are you an admirer of Jesus? Or a genuine follower?
God expects action from His followers, His disciples.
No Excuses for Doing Nothing
In response to those who make excuses why they cannot serve the Lord, Rick Warren writes:
Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid.
That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in his service. He will use you too if you stop making excuses.
Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life," Zondervan (October 2002), p. 233
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step. Discuss and see how we can actually do the things we study.
LIFE APPLICATION: The Next Step
What are the key points of this message?
How can we apply this message?
