2011-02-20 Life Worth Living: Be Open to Saying Yes

***The following is a draft of the message for Sunrise UMC on February 20, 2011***

Good morning Sunrise! Over the last few weeks, we have been looking at several different examples that the bible gives us to have a better disposition of life. In this series, called Life Worth Living, we have discovered that as we begin to shift our focus from many of the problems and distractions of life, we find it more enjoyable. That’s what God wants for us, because life is a gift and one that should be enjoyed.

But just to say that we need to have a better outlook of life is easy. For some of us, we are dealing with some horrific circumstances which prevent us from see how life can be filled with anything but misery. Many people are struggling with sickness, death, financial maladies, broken relationships. Throughout the world, people are dealing with lack of education, abject poverty, a lack of proper sanitation, malnourishment, and poor healthcare. These are places where Christ-followers have the opportunity to help alleviate the pain and torture that so many endure. This is the reason that Kandace Thomason and Rick Washabaugh are in the Dominican Republic today to help bring hope and healing to the people there.

But for many of us, the reason we fail to live a full life is because we fail to develop an abundance of life attitude. We tend to focus on the bad rather than the good, We trust our negative experiences rather than the promise of hope. We slink through life instead of facing it with optimism. Although we may put on a nice façade, we live lonely lives.

We can miss out on so much of life because of one word. What is that word?

No.

Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes the word we need to say is ‘No.’ The advertising campaign of Nancy Regan’s War on Drugs was simply “Just Say No.” Most socio-analysts attribute it to a marked drop in drug abuse during the 1980’s and 90’s. We teach our children to say no when it comes to interaction with strangers to protect them. We try to instill our daughters how to say ‘no’ and our sons to respect ‘no’ as an answer. So the word, ‘no,’ has its place in our vocabulary.

But as with many things, the word can become abused. We can become addicted to it. We can use it as a crutch.

Many times we say no because we are scared – scared of the unknown, scared of taking risk, scared of the outcome, scared of trusting someone – we are just scared. Over time, we get comfortable with being fearful and timid. ‘No’ becomes the catalyst to safe and non-adventurous lives.

Friends, that kind of life is not what God has in mind for us. God did not create us so that we would live mundane and listless lives.

We know from the passage of scripture that has served as the theme verse for this series in which Jesus says:

John 10:10

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

So, what does life in all its fullness look like? How do we experience that kind of life?

I believe one answer to these questions may be found in a story with which many of you may be familiar. The passage is from the Gospel of Matthew 14:22-32. It follows Jesus hearing of the death of his cousin, friend, and exhorter, John the Baptist and also the miracle of feeding the crowd of 5000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish.

It reads like this:

Matthew 14:22-32

22 Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. 23 Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It's all right," he said. "I am here! Don't be afraid." 28 Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water." 29 "All right, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. 31 Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. "You don't have much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" 32 And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.

[Prayer]

- The disciples were scared.

- Peter believed and said yes (even to his own request)

- When Peter began to listen to the external forces, telling him that it wasn’t possible, he began to say no and thus sink

- Jesus immediately saved him, but just as quickly called him on his lack of trust and faith

Now, I may be wrong, but I don’t think that anyone in here this morning has been called by Jesus to literally walk on water. But, I do believe that Jesus has called and is calling each of us to do something just as extraordinary.

For some of us, it’s time for us to hear Jesus say, “Come” and for us to step out of our comfort-zones, our safe little boxes, and take some steps of faith.

This morning, I want to give you the opportunity to start thinking about some of the things that Jesus urges us to do, yet we still find ourselves saying ‘No.’

List 5 “I Can’t Do It’s” – five things that you believe Jesus is calling you to do that you haven’t tried before.

[Ask for examples to get people thinking]

[Allow a moment of reflection]

Now, for some other of us, we have taken some steps of faith, but for whatever reason, we have started looking at and listening to all the stuff around us, telling us that we can’t do it.

List 5 “I Can’t Keep Doing It’s” – five things that seem to be too much to keep doing even though you know they are the right things to do

Let’s take a look at our list again. Take just a moment to stop and consider each of these items. What is the real reason behind our saying, ‘No’? Which of these are we willing to consider saying ‘Yes’ to trusting Jesus to lead us, or even holding us as we take our steps of faith?

Our lives become the richest and fullest when we trust and say yes when God calls on us to do the unthinkable. Let me leave you with one more passage of scripture that may give you hope and encourage you to say yes. It comes from Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

February 13, 2011 - Life Worth Living: Have a World View

***The following is a draft of the message on February 13, 2011 at Sunrise UMC***

Good Morning Saints of Sunrise!

Have you ever been called a saint before?

Why or Why not? [Allow Responses]

It is no mistake that I called you that this morning because Sunrise is filled with either saints or people on their way to becoming saints.

Here’s why I say that. In most theological circles, a saint is defined as

1) One who is in Heaven

2) Exemplary Teacher

3) Perfect Model

4) An Intercessor

5) Worker of Miracles

Now as far as I plan to go this morning, we are going to deal with the last four and hopefully save the first one to identify with for a long time off.

Let’s spend just a moment looking at these last four and see how we might fit into these descriptions.

Who has some experience that you would like to share as an example of any of these?

[Allow responses]

Now if we look at these last four for just a moment, what can we notice about them?

What commonality do they share?

[Allow Responses]

They all are outward focused. They all point beyond ourselves.

This morning, we are continuing a series of messages entitled Life Worth Living

In this series we have spent some time defining what it mean to live a good life.

So far, we have discovered that life, as God would have us live involves:

1) Letting Go of things that hold us back

2) Seeing God in the Ordinary

3) Getting ME Out of the Way

4) Slowing Down

Over the last few weeks, we have also seen that God really does intend for us to live the best life possible because Jesus exclaims it best by saying this:

John 10:10

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

Sometimes, there have been some people who believed in God, who just couldn’t quite comprehend what it meant to be a follower of God.

Who here knows the story of Jonah?

[Allow response}

Most of us have heard about Jonah being swallowed by a big fish, but what caused him to become fish food?

What happened after he was hurled up?

[Recap all of the Jonah story]

11 The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh! Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are." 3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the LORD. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping that by going away to the west he could escape from the LORD. 4 But as the ship was sailing along, suddenly the LORD flung a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to send them to the bottom. 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. And all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. 6 So the captain went down after him. "How can you sleep at a time like this?" he shouted. "Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will have mercy on us and spare our lives." 7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, Jonah lost the toss. 8 "What have you done to bring this awful storm down on us?" they demanded. "Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?" 9 And Jonah answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." 10 Then he told them that he was running away from the LORD.The sailors were terrified when they heard this. "Oh, why did you do it?" they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, "What should we do to you to stop this storm?" 12 "Throw me into the sea," Jonah said, "and it will become calm again. For I know that this terrible storm is all my fault." 13 Instead, the sailors tried even harder to row the boat ashore. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn't make it. 14 Then they cried out to the LORD, Jonah's God. "O LORD," they pleaded, "don't make us die for this man's sin. And don't hold us responsible for his death, because it isn't our fault. O LORD, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons." 15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the LORD's great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. 17 Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

21 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. 2 He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the world of the dead, and LORD, you heard me! 3 You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. 4 Then I said, 'O LORD, you have driven me from your presence. How will I ever again see your holy Temple?' 5 "I sank beneath the waves, and death was very near. The waters closed in around me, and seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was locked out of life and imprisoned in the land of the dead. But you, O LORD my God, have snatched me from the yawning jaws of death! 7 "When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. 8 Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. 9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone." 10 Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit up Jonah on the beach, and it did.

31 Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message of judgment I have given you." 3 This time Jonah obeyed the LORD's command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!" 5 The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they decided to go without food and wear sackcloth to show their sorrow. 6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in sackcloth and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: "No one, not even the animals, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 Everyone is required to wear sackcloth and pray earnestly to God. Everyone must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will have pity on us and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us." 10 When God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways, he had mercy on them and didn't carry out the destruction he had threatened.

41 This change of plans upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the LORD about it: "Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying these people. 3 Just kill me now, LORD! I'd rather be dead than alive because nothing I predicted is going to happen." 4 The LORD replied, "Is it right for you to be angry about this?" 5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see if anything would happen to the city. 6 And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah's head, shading him from the sun. This eased some of his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But God also prepared a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant, so that it soon died and withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God sent a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. "Death is certainly better than this!" he exclaimed. 9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?""Yes," Jonah retorted, "even angry enough to die!" 10 Then the LORD said, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. And a plant is only, at best, short lived. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?"

What can we get from this story?

Jonah forgot what God told Abraham many years before and what God says to us today

Genesis 12:2b

I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others.

When God blesses, you are blessed to be a blessing to others.

Have to move beyond our comfort zones, our own little world.

Genesis 12:3

I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."

Too often, people say, “I believe we should help others, but I think we should mainly focus on our nation, our community.”

Folks, that is bad theology and you will not find one scrap of justification for it in scripture.

One of the best loved passages of scripture, John 3:16 says what? “For God so loved Winston-Salem? For God so loved the United States?”

No, say it with me, “For God so loved the world, he gave his only Son…”

Also, take the time and read the book of Acts. Actually, we will be covering most of that book in a series after Easter. But let me give you a hint of what it’s about – The spreading of the love of God and the grace of Jesus Christ through the expansion of the Church throughout the known world.

God calls us to be see the world as God sees it and to be actively involved in making it a better place.

This morning, we have a great opportunity to be a part of sending a couple of our own off to be missionaries. Kandace Thomason and Rick Washabaugh are going to the Dominican Republic later on this week to be short-term missionaries. Jimmy Williams will explain what they will be doing.

[Call on Jimmy Williams]

January 30, 2011 - Life Worth Living: Slow Down

***The following is a draft of the message prepared for Sunrise UMC on 01/30/2011***

Let’s start off this morning with a simple quiz, okay?

Five questions answered by a show of hands:

1. Do you always seem to be in a hurry?
At the end of your day, do you often find that your "To do" list isn’t done? (If you don’t make lists, are you often frustrated by not getting anything done?)

2. Has anyone ever told you to slow down?

3. Do you feel guilty when you relax? (Do you know what “relax” is?)

4. Have you ever found yourself scheduled to be in more than one place at a time?

Was anybody in here surprised at the number of hands that went up for each of these questions?

Take a moment and talk with each other about how many of these you answered yes to and why

[Allow time for discussion]

It is amazing how busy we find ourselves to be today, doesn’t it?

Here is a bit of trivia I found to be rather interesting the other day; back in 1994, the Gallup Research Group conducted a poll and found that 72% of the people believe that over the next few years, they would be working less because of the growing technological advances. Here we are about 17 years later and the opposite is true. Most Americans are working an average of 25% more and spend about 10 hours less each month in leisure activities.

Why is that? Can anyone give me a reason?

[Allow responses]

(Possible response may include: pressure to excel, pressure to keep up, anxiety over job, need more income, love to work, unavoidable circumstances,…)

Sometimes, the circumstances warrant us to work harder and longer and sometimes we choose to do so voluntarily. Actually, if we get down to it, it is probably a mixture of both.

Take me for instance; the last few weeks have been crazy. Now, some of the hectic pace I experience was beyond my control, but some of it I brought on myself.

Last week, I was finishing up the last phase of my doctoral project. During that time, my mentors informed me that I have less than two weeks to get my project together in perfection. Some of my classmates who are behind me have started sending me their papers to look over and edit. Then each day, I spent time going to several different session learning new methodologies of how to do ministry and administration. Add to this, I still was trying to settle my father’s final affairs. Then, on top of all of this, our Admin. Asst. Karen sent me this lovely email reminding me that I still needed to get the worship plans turned into her and the worship team.

The only time I had to start working on my message for today was on the plane ride back home, where I was seated beside an atheist who was quite unhappy to be sitting beside a pastor who had the audacity to be reading the Bible.

It was quite ironic that while going through all of this, I remembered the topic for today – Slow Down

I remember distinctly saying, “God you have got to be kidding me. Is this some kind of sick joke?”

But as I sat there for a moment, speeding across the sky at 500mph, I breathed in and closed my eyes in prayer. I continued this prayer, “Slow down? What can I say to help people slow down when I can’t even do it?”

Then, out of the blue, this scripture came to mind:

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God.

Yeah, be still. Be still and know God is God and I am not. There world does not depend on me to turn. I can slow down; I can relax for a moment.

After spending the rest of that flight just relaxing, it started to come to me some ways to just slow down.

Ways to Slow Down

1. Value stillness – We aren’t always very comfortable with this. Our culture tells us we have to be doing something to be of any value to society. But God says, “Be still.”

2. Consider the reason for your ‘busyness’ – Are you busy because you have no control over your life or is it because you don’t say ‘no’ often enough? Everything that demands your attention isn’t always important.

3. Be real – You’re human. The human body has to have rest. Most experts will say that we need on average eight hours of sleep, but do we get it? What is your average? [Allow responses]

4. Follow Jesus’ example – Jesus understood the value of being still and getting away from all kinds of distractions. Take for an instance when Jesus was out preaching and healing one day and heard that John the Baptist had been executed. This is what happened:

Matt. 14:13, 22–23

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

Jesus understood the value of ‘Me Time.’

5. Take a break. – Folks, let’s not put ourselves any higher on our self-erected pedestal than necessary. We can take a break, get away, get some ‘Me Time’ in and more importantly, get some time in reconnecting with God.

Let’s remember our Theme Scripture for this series:

John 10:10

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

Let’s become intentional about slowing down so we can live the Life Worth Living.

January 23, 2011 - Life Worth Living: Get ME Out of the Way

***The following is a draft of the message for Sunrise UMC on 01/23/2011***

This morning, we’re continuing this series of messages on Life Worth Living. The series is based on the promise made by Jesus in John 10:10 that says this:

John 10:10b

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness

This series is designed to help us reach the point where we are living life to fullest, giving some practical theological insight and methods to do so. But you know, just following a list of instructions just doesn’t always cut it. It is like trying to start a new diet o exercise routine – easy to start but not so easy to maintain.

Why is that? Why can’t we simply just follow a routine and experience lifelong change?

[Allow Response]

All of these reasons really can be simplified into this: In order for any lasting change is to happen, we have to change our attitude, change our heart about it as well. It has to become part of the fabric that makes us up.

I believe the same is true in leading a full life. The problem is that most people do not know what it means to live a full life. Their concept of a life worth living is not aligned very well with God’s intentions.

Who wants to make a stab at what God means by a full life? [Allow responses]

What keeps us from that? [Allow responses]

While there may well be a myriad of right responses, I think the crux of the problem comes down to this one thing – sin.

What is sin? In simplest terms, it is missing the mark. Think of that in sports and you may think of missing the bullseye, or sinking that putt, or many other examples, but think of it even deeper. Imagine that missing those marks had deathly consequences – that your life depended on making that shot. Then we may be getting a better idea of the gravity here.

Sin is falling short of the glory of God, falling short of being the perfect creation that God intended. It is what separates us from God. It leads us not to a life worth living, but death and eternal separation.

Who here has heard the term, ‘original sin’?

Original sin stems from one of the stories we find back in Genesis. Look with me at this story which you’ll find in Genesis 2:4b – 3:7

Chapter 2

4b When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-- 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-- 7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." 18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Chapter 3

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

What was the sin, in this story?

The sin was that the man and woman were trying to be god. They shifted their focus from listening to and obeying God to trying to be in control. That my friends, is the root of sin.

Think about the problems in the world. If you get right down to it, the root of most all the problems in the world comes from people who either have and abuse their control of those who desire to have someone else’s control.

But it can be more personal than that

- Narcissism – thinking more highly of yourself than you are.

- Here is something that shocked me though; in a recent CNN poll 66% of college students believe their generation is the most narcissistic and self-absorbed

- We can see that just by browsing around on MySpace, Facebook. What is the point of these sites? It’s suppose to be networking, but most all the pages scream “Look at ME!”

- Not just Generation Y though – Consider all the cosmetics, material possessions, credit, the bling… All this stuff feeds our “All about me” attitudes

Folks, we are missing the mark. We are deep in sin.

There is hope though

Another promise that Jesus made when he was talking to his followers about leaving – he said

John 14:15-17

15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth.

We can start working on hitting the mark by “Getting Me Out of the Way.”

We can start accomplishing this by:

Setting some Godly GOALS

1. Get God’s input – Pray. Pray about what it is that God is calling you to do or not do. Pray about this a great deal. Pay special attention to those things that may move you out of your comfort zone and has some biblical and theological backing. In other words, can you imagine Jesus saying this to you?

2. Own it – Once you have a clear idea of what God is asking of you, Own it. Don’t just say this is God’s idea, make it yours as well.

3. Apply it – This is where you need to start figuring out how to make it a part of your normal routine.

4. Live it – Once you understand how it can be a part of your life, live it out day in and day out.

5. Seek God’s input again. – Keep in constant communication with God to hone and perfect your new attitude and actions. Also, be open to God setting some other new goals for you.

By understanding our place in the world, knowing who we are and whose we are, we are able to take off a tremendous amount of weight from out shoulders. We don’t have to try to live up to be more than we were called to be. We can just be ourselves, God’s precious children. That’s a life worth living.