Well, let me tell you about my week - the last week of 2001. Remember on Christmas Eve I was talking about how much I was gonna enjoy being at mom and dad's for Christmas? All the food I was gonna eat, all the turkey and all the desserts..Well that never happened. I mean, we went to the farm, but on the way there, I started to get sick - the flu. And by 2:00 on Christmas day I was losing my breakfast, and my supper, and my dessert.And for 2 full days all I did was lay in bed and whine..And trust me, food was the last thing on my mind. There is a good side to this story, however. The upside is.I got some sleep. And I got to spend some alone time - some time just thinking. Which is a very healthy thing for me.
You know, every year at this time I usually take a full day to spend some quiet time thinking about life as one year wraps up and another is opened. John Gormley put it perfectly in his article in Friday's paper...
So I've been asking questions this week..
What kind of year has it been for me?
What kind of person am I becoming?
What kind of leader am I developing into?
Did I reach the goals I wanted to reach?
By asking questions like these every year, I find life seems to become more focused for me. And this flu bug forced me to get quiet and think a little bit sooner than usual. And out of these past days came the idea for a couple messages.this week and next.
One thing that happens every year during this time is that I read from Scripture to help focus my life as well...And I always end up in the same couple of books. The wisdom books.Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Psalms. And my mind settled on a Psalm Lee Barbour and I have often spoke about. SO note that some of these thoughts come from Lee.
Psalm 23 is a Psalm that is read at most funerals.And this week I began to understand why..because when we grieve, we need to feel God's presence and Psalm 23 is full of the reality of God in our lives.
Let's read it and then I'll tell you what I learned this week.
I'm going to talk about 4 principles for New Years.I'll start the message this week and end it next week.
1. Reflection leads us to rest in the knowledge of God.
Look at how Psalm 23 starts: "The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name." (v. 1-3)
Just reading that nearly puts you to sleep.and it just paints a picture - of tranquility and peace. You can see it and feel it. (But please don't go to sleep yet - there's lots to learn today.)
David, when he wrote this, was the King of Israel.and I'm thinking it was a pretty large responsibility. A stressful job.But earlier in his life he had been a shepherd.A much simpler, less stressful role to be sure.And if you read between the lines, I think going back to thoughts of shepherding - going back to a less complicated place.helped him connect with God a whole lot easier.
So he goes back to a place in his mind where God was very real and faith was extremely tangible.
Now if you look at the way the Psalmist is writing here - he is picturing as he writes exactly what we are picturing when we hear it - In his mind, he knows God supplies his every need. He doesn't need to worry..He knows that true rest, renewal, peace, and strength come from God - and only from that source.will his future path be clearly marked out and directed..And so he begins to slow his mind down and release some stress.
At this point in Psalm 23, David is making a mental checklist of what he knows to be true about God and what he knows about sheep..See - because David had been a shepherd, he knew the role of shepherd well.and how a flock should best respond as well..
David knew that sheep, when they are at their best, are completely dependent on the shepherd for everything - for guidance, protection, and for food..For life..And so he begins to say - "Here is what I know to be true: God - You are my Shepherd, and I will choose to mentally reflect on what that means for a while. I'll just be a sheep for a while. I'll let You lead me to a quiet meadow - with a gentle brook nearby - and I'll just lie down here and think about You.."
Got the picture? He knows that reflection leads to rest.because of who God is.
Now fast forward to December 30, 2001 and it's your life - not David's. If you want to end this year in the right way..then let yourself be a sheep for a while. Here's what I mean - seize a little bit of this down time in the next week - to slow your mind down and get quiet with God. Notice I said slow your mind down - (Not your heart - we'll get to that in a minute.)
The first step today is to mentally engage in your spiritual life..Let your mind walk through what you know to be true about God..As I said.every December or early January here's what I do: I get away for a complete day - to a very quiet spot (Queen's House, Hamm's office)..And then I simply begin to slow down my mind..And I begin to release all the useless information and tidbits of conversations and I get rid of all of the stuff..Do you ever slow down long enough to know how much stuff is in your mind?..Now to do this, sometimes I just sit and look out a window - or I go for a walk or I doze (yes - I said it - I can sleep any time I want to. So sometimes the best thing for me is to sleep for a few minutes - anything to clear my mind.)
Then when I think my mind is slowed enough..I go through a couple exercises. And they are based on one line from Ecclesiastes 7:13 - which simply says, "Consider what God has done." I love that line because it says a lot more than we think it does..
Consider what God has done..Well I stretch that a bit to include - who God is also..So I get a blank page and I write this on the top: "Who God Is and What He's Done." And then I just write out what I know to be true about God..All-knowing, all-powerful, all-seeing, Alpha & Omega, the beginning and the end. He is my Forgiver, my Friend, my Leader, my Guide, my Healer, my Helper, my Peace Provider, my Soul Companion, my Vision Sender, my Passion Giver..My Solid Rock, my Foundation, my Life, my Breath, my Love, my ALL. He is my Everything..
And when the page is full..an hour or so has gone by and my mind is at rest and my heart is just beginning to beat a little faster..Yet all I have really done is remind myself of what I know to be true about God and what role He plays in my life..
Consider who God is and what He has done..He is my Shepherd - I have everything I need..
People, we must place our minds in God's Hand every once in a while..They need some rest...and mind rest comes only with a knowledge of who God is and what He's done. So to properly end this year 2001 - here's my first suggestion: Find one day - be diligent about it - fight for it..and get a day (already those voices are saying "don't do it, your schedule is booked with all those important things"..Well sometimes what is important must be put off to tend to that which is vital.)...Find a day and get alone and start with reflection and let your mind rest on God for a while..You'll be amazed at the clarity it brings - sometimes a walk by a quiet stream in a green meadow is all your mind needs..to prepare you for what God has to say to your heart.
That's Step #1..Step #2 makes this whole thing a lot more personal.
2. Realization leads us to experience the presence of God.
Let's go back to Psalm 23 and watch for the shift in subject. David goes from speaking of God in the 3rd person to the 1st person - and with that comes a growing intimacy."Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You welcome me as a guest, anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings." (v. 4-5).
Did you see a change in the wording? He changed from God being He.to God being you.Suddenly David isn't talking about what God is able to do because He is God..but instead He talks about what God is doing..He moves from his mind to his heart. As he reflected and rested on his knowledge of God..a realization came over him that leads him to experience the presence of God in a very real way.."God, You are close to me - You protect and comfort me."
See folks, faith isn't just based on the head knowledge that God is able to be God when we need Him to be..Faith is also based on the heart knowledge that God is who He says He is. He does help us, He does guide us, He does protect us and forgive us and love us and heal us..right when we need Him..
If you don't remember anything else I say today - remember this: Your faith has to work emotionally. It's got to play out in your life when you need it to..(when the chips are down and you need God to be God)..It's your head that might kick in first with your knowledge of who God is - but it's your heart that finishes the game..You've got to be able to feel your faith.
This is big (new thought!)...Look at Psalm 23..What is it that brings on David's urgent faith of the heart? Where is it that God becomes so very real to him? It's hard times.Look at the words..Dark valley, death, protect me, comfort me, enemies.
Now there is a truth here that I don't even want to talk about because it's very hard to explain and it's a faith principle that's even harder to understand..But the truth of the matter is..tough times in our lives bring us to a clearer understanding of God. And hard times refine our faith..The dark night of the soul.
About 3 weeks ago or so, Don Pogoda (the Jr. High ZOO Director) read some verses at our staff meeting that profoundly impacted me and others.Don has this amazing gift of making the wisdom of God's Word touch our hearts in a very real way.Let me read these verses to you - James 1:2-4.It is through tough times that our faith impacts us at a higher level.It's during hard times that we learn endurance.
That's what I believe to be true because I've seen it happen to hundreds of people - In our weaknesses we see His strength. At least that's how the Apostle Paul put it..
2 Cor. 12:10 - "Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
He also said this: "That is why I never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. - 2 Cor. 4:16-18.
David suddenly got this halfway through the Psalm.and he gets it!
"Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me." (Ps. 23:4).
See, as a sheep - sometimes death and sickness are very real. Valleys are deep and dark..and full of enemies..and that's when you need to know the Shepherd is real - not in your head - but in your heart. You've gotta feel Him close beside you. You gotta know His staff and rod will protect you. You don't want to be thinking about it..It's gotta be real.
Faith, only when its' gone through the fire, becomes mature and strong. One huge question I ask myself very regularly (I have to, because my life has been pretty easy - really.)..I ask myself..if everything came apart at the seams, if life got very horrible, where would my faith be? Would it be as strong as I say it is? It's a good question to ask.
Now, shift gears again and fast forward to December 30, 2001 and this day of reflection we're on - trying to end the year successfully and skillfully..
Without fail, when I make this transition (on a day of solitude) from mind reflection to heart realization - God meets me in a very real and meaningful way. Now catch that - It doesn't happen once in a while - it happens every time..Every time you move from mind to heart - from reflection to realization - Every time you make personal whatever it is you need God for and reflect on that realization - He will meet you in a very personal and powerful way. Now I don't know what kind of year you've had, good or bad - but it is good to reflect on both..Remember the verse I read before from Ecclesiastes? "Consider what God has done." Well the next verses say this."Don't fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what He has made crooked? Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life." (Eccl. 7:13b-14)
Again, similar thoughts as our Psalmist's..(which kinda makes sense since Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes and was David's son.)
These verses basically say - reflect on the good as well as the bad - but make sure to take time to consider and reflect on the tough stuff of life - because God is in that as well - He walks with you during these times more than we realize.
So - during this day of reflection, take time to consider the hard times of life as well..And remember how He walked beside you (Earl's story) or maybe how He is still walking with you and helping you..Many of you are walking through a dark valley even now.God is with you. Sometimes a realization of how hard life can be is what we need to help us see how close God is to us..and moreover, it's what we need to shake us from our self-sufficiency that will kill our faith..Folks, if we think we can make it on our own - then what do we need God for?
So here's my life - as up to date as I can get..When I spent time reflecting with God this week - on the past year - some major realizations came over me..The first was how blessed I am...God has given me a great life..
- I have a wonderful wife.
- 3 amazing kids.
- We've enjoyed good health.
- We've had great friends.
- We've had more than enough money.
- We've had more than enough food.
- We've gone on a couple of trips this year.
- We are spiritually quite connected at home.
- We love you people.
- We love this church.
Realization #1 - God has been good to me..That's the truth - He's been good. And you know, sometimes without time to reflect - I might be tempted to think that I had something to do with any of those things - No - not one. They are all direct from the Hand of God and to Him I am very thankful...Personally this has been a great year!
People, when you get a chance to count your blessings - make sure you give thanks..Every good and perfect gift in our lives comes from Him.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17
Now if I'm gonna be honest, when I took some time to reflect I didn't have all happy thoughts. Leadership-wise this has been a tough year...Here at the church it's been the toughest year I've had since I stepped into this job in 1996. It's been like steering a big ship through a fog. And the more I reflected on it, the more foggy it seemed to get..The challenges are clear and quite easy to name - but not as easy to fix. We have been growing so rapidly over these past 5 years and because of that growth we've stretched and taxed ourselves significantly in several ways..
1. Physical space issue..impeding future growth; everyday stress of a cramped facility. How do you lead through this?
2. Launch a building campaign - right? (Relationship stress) - communication has been tough. (Faith stretched) - land we'd dealt on for 4 months went south. (Direction questioned.) (Uphill battle) - 100% of any church never gets on board with even a very needed thing. But God has called us to it.
3. Rapid growth created tired leaders and stress. How do I help them lead?
4. Rapid growth..5 staff to 20 staff in 4 years..Wow - how do I lead them and help manage them well?
5. Rapid growth - pressure on finances; how do we mix faith that God is working in your life along with us managing well? Stress - right now only 90% expenses are covered for 2001. There's 1 day left and $100,000 is needed to reach this year's budget.
Rapid growth has been an amazing thing to be a part of - It's an answer to prayer as literally hundreds of you people have come to a new understanding of Jesus Christ in your life..But I do need to tell you that this year - all that good - took a toll on me - hard..
So why am I telling you this? I guess - simply to let you know that this preacher has a few tough days too..and more than simply whining - I want you to know that this week during my reflection and realizations with God and my heart and mind..I simply said thank you to God - for His goodness..Because even when we feel alone - or when we are unclear on a direction - He has not left us..No - He is the same God who was there when we thought things were great in our lives as well...Consider that -..God is clearly leading this church - in as mighty and powerful a way as He ever has in the past..
In fact, these days of reorganizing our administrative structure (which is taking a huge effort right now - pray for your leadership teams).
These days of financial consultants and faith steps with our money..
These days of planning a facility that has the capability to reach a city..
These days of 1000 different tastes in music..
These days of God calling every one of us to a deeper walk spiritually in knowledge..
These days where we are beginning to struggle to care for the poor..
These "tough days" - are what God will use to take this church to a whole new level. A level that none of us have ever seen. It is during these days of challenge - when our faith is tested and when our relationships are tested - that the true community of faith responds.
Folks, the way I look at these challenges is simple. Do we have to beat them? Yes. No question - we have to clearly get a handle on all the issues and challenges we face..But when we do, buckle up. Because God is preparing us for something incredible. These days are like having a short break before we start the 2nd half of a race.
Folks - 2 things..
- God is faithful. Know that. When you're questioning personally or about the church. This church has seen His hand work consistently - over 80 years and He will lead us strongly into the future.God is faithful.
- Be unified. Listen to Philippians 1 - the Apostle Paul says to the church, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.Stand firm, in one Spirit, contending as one man for the faith." People, this year - 2002- we must work hard at following our leaders in unity - God has lead us strongly..and has placed godly diligent leaders on our leadership teams. Support them. Speak well of them. Rally around them. We must be one as wee move ahead. This is a big deal.
As you end your year (no matter what kind of year you've had), move your faith from your head to your heart and feel God's blessing and leading and protection and grace and love in your life. And listen to this - because here's where we're going next week..It unlocks the secret of how to start a new year..
"Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever." - Psalm 23:6.
It's with that confidence that we can face the new year ahead..But that's next week.. |
