October 1, 2012

In our LIFE Groups this Fall we are studying the thought-provoking book "RADICAL" by David Platt.

 

This evening we had a great meeting and one of Platt's statements we discussed from Chapter Two in the book was this:

 

"We spurn our Creator's  authority over us. God beckons storm clouds, and they come. He tells the wind to blow and the rain to fall, and they obey immediately. He speaks to the mountains, "You go there," and to the seas, "you stop here," and they do it." Everything in all creation responds in obedience to the Creator....until we get to you and me. We have the audacity to look God in the face and say, "No!"

 

Wow! It does take alot of audicity to tell God, "No" when He demands and deserves a "yes"! Audacity and stupidity is actually what it takes.

 

You defy or disobey God at your own peril! Think about Adam. Think about Jonah.

Read this thoughtfully:

 

 

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,  since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen."  Romans 1:18-25

 

Let me ask you, "Is there an area of your life where God is asking for a "yes" but you are giving Him a "no"?

 

I urge you to reconsider. You DO NOT want to say, "No" to God!

 

 

 

 

 

September 30, 2012

"For this very reason make every effort to add to your faith, goodness and to goodness, knowledge and to knowledge, SELF-CONTROL." II Peter 1:5-6

 

Several years ago the ABC news show "20/20" did an experiment on self-control with a group of pre-schoolers. The reporter told the children they could have a cookie right then or they could choose to wait some 20 or 30 minutes until he returned from an errand and they would then get two cookies. Upon giving those instructions the reported left the room and the cameras watched how the children responded.

 

Of course, there were several who grabbed the cookie right away and munched on it in front of those trying to be more self-controlled and hold out for the double reward. The camera was trained on them as they tried to exercise restraint. One put his head down in his arms to remove the temptation. Another closed his eyes. Others sang, or hummed and one even tried to sleep. But they mastered self-control and were rewarded with two cookies.

 

A follow up study done years later revealed that those who were able to show self-control were happier and more successful in life and relationships. The self-indulgent ones were more anxious, more prone to depression and less successul than those with self-control.

 

Which group do you identify with? Would you grab the cookie or could you hold out for two?

 

Not only was this an educational and enteraining experiment but it revealed the three basic ways that people deal with life:

 

Self-dedicated - Those who always want the cookie and have to have it now! They make no effort to deprive themselves of anything they desire.

 

Self-medicated - Those who don't want to deal with the emotional, spiritual or mental pain caused by self-dedicated living and dull it by artificial means.

 

Self-controlled - Those who, in the strength of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit, are able to defer gratification and deal with pain in order to receive the better reward.

 

How would you identify yourself:

 

Self-dedicated?

 

Will you surrender and live for God's joy rather than your own pleasure?

 

Self-medicated?

 

Will you discipline your destructive behavior and trust God to handle your pain?

 

Self-controlled?

 

Will you give control to God and give His Spirit control?

 

 

 

September 29, 2012

A self-centered, self-indulgent snob opened the door of his BMW, when suddenly a car came along and hit the door, ripping it off completely. When the police arrived at the scene, the yuppie was complaining bitterly about the damage to his precious BMW.

 

"Officer, look what they've done to my Beeeeemer!!!", he whined.
 

"You rich snobs are so materialistic, you make me sick!!!", retorted the officer. "You're so worried about your stupid BMW, that you didn't even notice that your left arm was ripped off!!!"

 

"Oh my gaaawd...," replied the rich snob, finally noticing the bloody left shoulder where his arm once was,

 

"Where's my Rolex?!!!!!"

This humorous story illustrates the self-dedicated life or the life given over to the all-out pursuit of pleasure.

Blaise Pascal said, "There is a God-shaped hole in the human heart." This self-centered snob knew something was missing but he didn't know what it was. Obviously, he thought he could fill the emptiness from the outside in.

Many people believe the same thing. Alexander the Great was able to conquer the entire known world by age 30 but he could not control his own passions. He died of syphilis in a drunken stupor at just 32.

The self-dedicated life always leads to sadness and often tragedy. Just ask Michael Jackson or Amy Winehouse or Whitney Houston, to name a few. People who live just for themselves often end up dying by themselves as victims of their own excesseses.

To the ambitious, self-motived, self-seeking, self-striving, self-interested person, Jesus says, "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest."

To the sensuous, self-indulgent person seeking validation and acceptance, Jesus says, "I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly."

My mother says, "A person all wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package!"

Don't be that guy! Live large from the inside out!

Who do you think is the only ONE Who can completely fill that "God-shaped void" in the center of your being?

Then why not ask Him? Why not shift from self-dedicated to Savior dedicated?




 

 

  

September 28, 2012

Peter has been giving us great advice on how to work out the graces He planted in us when we received Jesus Christ for salvation.

 

^"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control" II Peter 1:5-6

As I have thought about this great portion of Scripture I think of how few people I see who actually live self-controlled lives.

I have recognized three ways people deal with life in the 21st century:

The Self-Dedicated Life

The Self-Medicated Life

AND,

The SELF - CONTROLLED Life, I Corinthians 9:24-27

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

“self-control” = “getting a grip on your life - establishing stability”

 

This is the life God has called you and equipped you to live!

 

Five Qualities Of Self-Controlled Living:

POSITIVE GOALS, V. 24 – “Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win”

 

Self-controlled people live for a goal bigger than their own desires and wants. Here are some positive goals to live by:

 

Take responsibility

 

Spiritual growth is your responsibility. You will have to answer to God for how well you developed the grace He placed within you. It is up to you to bend every effort to add moral courage to your faith and to know the heart, the mind and the holiness of God!

 

Live with integrity

 

Integrity means to integrate what you believe into how you live. Self-controlled people will say what they mean, do what they say, and humbly seek forgiveness when they don't.

 

Welcome accountability

 

Self-control requires help from the outside. Just like an athlete needs a coach and and a referee, a growing Christian who values self-control will allow a trusted friend to hold him to a high standard.

 

PRACTICES DISCIPLINE, V. 25 – “All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize”.

 

What disciplines have you built into your life? Discipline means saying "no" to harmful things and "yes" to helpful things!

 

World-class athletes can't be gold medal contenders by sitting at the Krispy Kreme every day. Olympians give up the donuts to have a chance at the gold.

 

PROVIDES FOCUS, V. 26 – “So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches.”

 

How do you maintain your discipline in the pursuit of your goals?

 

I watched the sprinters in the Olympics and they were running directly at the finish line with their full focus on that tape. They weren't looking back or to the side or zig-zagging but striding straight to the finish.

 

Self-controlled Christians stay focused on the goal of pleasing God with their spiritual growth!

 

PROMOTES WHOLENESS, V. 27 - "I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

 

Self-controlled people, whether athletes or believers, are fully engaged in the race. They train the mind, the emotions and the body in order to compete at the highest level. I did not see any half-hearted competitors at the Olympics this Summer/

 

Do you daily surrender your mind, heart and body to God’s will?

 

PARTNERS WITH HOLY SPIRIT, Galatians 5:22

 

The bottom line on self-control is you or I can't do it! Self-control is actually God-control and self-control is self-surrender!

Self-control is one of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit once He is in control of your life!

D.L. Moody said,  - "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled."

 

So, how is your self-control?

 

What are your goals?

 

How is your discipline?

 

Where is your focus?

 

Are you entirely engaged?

 

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

 

 

September 27, 2012

Peter is making the case for spiritual maturity. I think it is a pretty strong case when he starts out by stating that God has given you EVERYTHING you need for godly living.

 

God placed those graces and virtues in you when you received Christ. Now it is up to you to develop - or work out what God has put in.

 

"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" II Peter1:5-6 

 

The point of having faith is to live it out in every day life. Otherwise, what good is it?

 

We have already considered the virtures of goodness and knowledge. Next is the rare virtue of self-control. Do you have it?

 

If people don't master self-control they often choose one of two other approaches to life:

 

Some choose self-dedication - living only by selfish motives to gratify desires and lusts. That is fine for infants and toddlers, but not so good for terrible two year-olds or adults.

 

This self-dedicated life-style often leads to another destructive way of dealing with life I call the self-medicated life.

 

Self-destructive behavior results in pain and brokenness. Some of the pain is self-inflicted and some results from the destructive behavior of others. When you have emotional, spiritual or mental pain, those hurts must be dealt with. How do you choose to soothe your pain? A bad choice can actually intensify the pain.

 

Some choose to self-medicate with "comfort food" and the more comfort they need the more food they eat.

 

Some self-medicate with alcohol and it the process become over-dependent on it or use too much.

 

Some self-medicate by spending money and buying things.Overspending and indebtedness creates more pain.

 

Pain is very real and unavoidable in life. Jesus experienced pain when He walked the earth. He understands pain! That is why He invited you, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

 

Have you taken a serious look at what is causing your pain?

 

How do you deal with your pain?

 

Is your "medication" of choice relieving your pain or deepening it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 26, 2012

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control" II Peter 1:5-6

I mentioned that I observe three primary ways of approaching life:

Those who are self-dedicated
Those who self-medicate
Those who are self-controlled

Today I want to work with the first approach - self-dedication.

What do I mean by self-dedication?

A self-dedicated person is one who is primarily dedicated to satisfying himself, his wants, his needs, his appetites, his whims and his pleasures. His credo is:

If it feels good I’ll do it!

If I want I will get it!

 

Life is short and I want to max it out.

 

Hugh Hefner has been one of the leading proponents and adherants of this hedonistic life-style. These people seem to believe that happiness comes from the outside in

 

In the New Testament Jesus told a story of a very wealthy man who was doing so well that he ordered bigger barns to be built to hold his bountiful bumper-crop! With so much wealth he now had no worries and decided he would live a self-indulgent life. But he didn't make it through the night and his life ended.

 

Jesus called that man a fool.

 

You and me and Hugh Hefner and this Rich Fool all have one thing in common. We all have a God-shaped void in the core of our beings. Until that void is filled we can never be contented and only God can fill that void. Trying to find satisfaction in anything else will only bring frustration and disillusionment.

 

Maybe that is why Jesus said, "But seek first my kingdom and my righteousness and all these others will be added to you as well."

 

Where are you looking for happiness and satisfaction?

 

Can you recognize any self-indulgence in your life?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 25, 2012

^"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;"  II Peter 1:5-6

 

Self-control is mentioned here as one of the graces that must be developed to work out the faith that God imparts to believers. According to Peter that faith gives us "everything we need for godliness".

Self-control is also listed among the gifts of the Spirit that are evidence of a life filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cleary, self-control, the ability to get a grip on your passions and emotions, is a sign of Christian maturity.

The are three options I have observed for dealing with life:

1) Self-Dedication

By this I refer to a totally self-indulgent life-style. This attitude of life not only lacks self-control but it has no desire for self-control.

A self-dedicated person gratifies every whim as often as possible. Whatever this person wants they get it.

Greed, lust and sensuality are al they live for.

2) Self-Medication
 

The lack of self-control characterized by the self-dedicated life leads to feelings of anxiety, loss of self-respect, shame, depression and addicitons. In an attempt to deal with the emotional and psychological pain caused by self-indulgent behavior, a person will self-medicate with one or more of the following:

 

*Alcohol consumption (I need a drink)

*Food as comfort

*Eating disorders

*Exercise disorders

*Gaming (OnLine Gaming Anon) (1/10 young people)

*Internet activities (61% addicted – FB, Twitter, stock trading, gambling, etc)

*Prescription drugs (1/12 HS seniors– Vicodin 1/20 — OxyContin)

12-17 year olds abuse prescription drugs more than ecstasy, heroin, crack/cocaine and meth combined.

*Substance abuse (cigarettes, marijuana, meth, cocaine, etc)

*Sexual promiscuity

*Gambling

*Spending

 

Unfortunately, these behaviors not only fail to help you get a grip on life but instead get a grip on your life.

 

3) Self-Control

 

Of course, this is the only acceptable life-style for Christ-followers. Rejecting a life of self-indulgence and a life of self-medication takes a strength greater than you have.

 

How then do I achieve the self-controlled life?

 

That will be answered over the next several blog posts. But for now, which life-style most characterizes you?

 

What has a grip on you?

 

Lust?

 

Greed?

 

Addiction?