On December 19th (Pam and I) going out to supper with friends.
- dressed up
- excited
- Came home late - jumped in the truck -
- We were yapping - laughing - lots of talk . . .
- Going down Idylwyld - sitting at a red light -
-Talking - laughing - smooching - all good -
- Thought the light changes - drove forward - still talking- laughing - smooching
BOOM (little car) T-boned my truck.
I had driven right into an intersection and right through a red light . . . Unbelievably embarrassing - as I backed off this wrecked little car and all the while saying sorry. Brutal - Police came - asked what happened and I said - this is what I did - obvious - then I said - not my fault. My wife had her hand on my leg . . . - A costly kiss.
Folks - life offers all kinds of signs for us to follow . . . But it's up to us to see them.
So let me ask you - What are you supposed to do at a stop sign . . . What steps are supposed to happen at a stop sign? Stop - Evaluate (look both ways) - proceed (with caution) Now . . . . . . I would only add in one thought - after you evaluate (at a stop sign) you might want to change something - a stop sign is a great place to turn a corner or to change direction completely . . . we'll talk more about that in a few minutes . . .
Now there is a reason I chose this series of messages. . . in the month of January . . . the season we are in right now . . . . . . are weeks where lots of us are setting goals - making resolutions - and trying to decide what decisions need to be made to make our lives more effective/efficient . . . Stable . . . etc.
And January is the very best month of the year to come to a in our lives, or at least slow them down long enough to evaluate where we are going . . . before we dive head long into another year . . . (lots to say -h it the tops of a few ideas . . . big breath . . . lets go)
There is a story in the Bible that I love to read at this time of the year - great story about refocusing life and about a decision Moses made that changed the way he lived his life . . . from that point on . . . . . .
Exodus 18 - starts by saying that Moses' father-in-law - Jethro, was gonna come for a visit . . specifically to hear first hand what had been going on with Moses as he lead the people of Israel (great story of how to respond to your father-in-law) (let me give you some background here) . . . This story takes place after Moses has lead the people of Israel out of the Country of Egypt where they had been slaves to the Egyptians for many generations . . . And when this story takes place the whole nation of Israel numbers somewhere around 1.5 million people - (lots of people) and they are nomads . . . wondering in the desert land - moving towards the land they had been promised - 1.5 million people in tents constantly moving and Moses is their leader . . .
Now the leadership challenge here . . . was significant . . . for Moses - because there was no government set up . . . none - the administrative structure was very flat - a little to flat . . .
And the only way it functioned was for Moses to be involved in every situation all the time . . . 24 - 7 - and that was no small task with 1.5 million people - He was to be all things to all people . . . Prime Minister - Premier - Mayor - Police - Lawyer - Judge - Vision Castor - Implementer - Law Maker - got the picture . . . . . . ?
So his father in law comes to visit and I can just feel with Moses - He had to be thinking (I'm stressed out enough) - I'm busy at work - I've got all this pressure and now my father-in-law is gonna come - what next?
Exodus 18: 7-10 - I love this story . . .
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.
Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said, "Praise be to the LORD , who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
That's all great - they have a good talk - everybody goes to bed - now watch this. Exodus 18:13-16
The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." Moses says - how else am I supposed to do this?
But, Jethro looks with a fresh set of eyes at what and how his son-in-law is leading, and it surprises him a little . . . and asks a few questions. Listen to this. Exodus 18:17-23
Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You, and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, (father-in-law) and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. But select capable men from all the people-men who fear God, and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."
Wow - the very next day after he comes to visit . . . his father-in-law - says STOP what you're doing - because the way you're living and leading is gonna kill you. Set up a system . . .
- Now you gotta love the Bible - because it doesn't get into the whole conversation . . . and it doesn't mention how long it took to have or whether it got heated or even if Moses attitude was good all the time . . . or what - I think we can assume there was some discussion . . .
- And I think we can assume it was a bit of a long day for Moses . . . but his father-in-law was perfectly right and so in verse (24 -27) it says this . . .
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
Now . . . nice story - so what . . .
- Well there are 4 steps that Jethro said to Moses that I think we can learn a lot from in this 2nd week of January . . . at the beginning of a New Year . . .
Here's the 4 steps . . . (much like the steps you're suppose to take at a stop sign) STOP EVALUATE CHANGE PROCEED
So let's talk about these 4 for a few minutes . . .
- The lst thing Moses had to do was stop - to take a breather from the way he had been living . . . Jethro said The way your living will kill you - stop.
-So the point is simple . . . Moses was never gonna change his course direction or ever see the problem he had or the danger he was in . . . without a stop . . . and his father-in-law provided that stop sign . . . . (Here's point #1)
I. STOP starts with Silence
Here's what I think about you and I in January of 2004 (wait . . . ) . . . If you haven't come to a stop in your life for a while (maybe you didn't get a chance at Christmas . . . ) . . . would you think about choosing to stop for a few hours or maybe even a day or two in the next week . . . Why ?
Because stop - has gotta happen before you can ever get to the next steps of proper evaluation or healthy change . . . (as you begin a new year and another segment of life).
There's another great story in the book of I Kings in the Bible about a fella named - Elijah . . . who had to learn to stop.
Elijah was a leader, and an incredibly action oriented guy - . . . he was a hard worker and seemingly inexhaustible in his approach to life - very passionate.
- And after one of these very action oriented seasons - (a 40 day, 40 night journey) he finds himself sleeping it off in a cave . . . and God begins to speak to him . . . and I think God gives him the biggest lesson of his life . . .
I Kings 19:11-13 says this . . .
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD , for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD , but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
- And then the Lord gave him the message . . .
Now folks there's is a lesson in there for us too about how God speaks to us . . . And I think it's pretty simple - ready?
If you or I think God is gonna speak to us at 90 mph - He won't - and if we think He will give us direction and guidance and blessing when we are living in a windstorm - He won't . . . and if we think we'll hear his whisper in the 30 second time slot we give him everyday - trust me - we won't hear it . . .
Notice the one line in Elijah's story . . . after the wind - earthquake - fire . . . whisper - it says . . . "and when Elijah heard it . . . he went outside the mouth of the cave" . . . my personal feeling here is that it took a while for Elijah to hear the whisper of God's voice . . . because he had been living such a noisy life . . .
Folks - If you don't hear anything else I say today - hear this . . . .
If you want God to lead and guide your life - if you want Him to direct you and help you to live skillfully and wisely . . . then you must be able to hear his whisper . . . to slow down to a stop so he can speak to you . . .
Nothing else I will say today - even matters if you're not willing to stop - to hear the Voice of God . . . Now . . . this week - this month - here's what it looks like - for me - 2 mornings this week - 2-3 hours each time . . . shut off the phone - get away from people -
For me this week that happened at Fudduckers - lots of times it's a quieter spot - (not this week) took a pad of paper - Bible - pen (just me and God) We worked through some things as I was at his stop sign . . .
For you - Lakeview's Day of Prayer - next Friday, January 16 - come and pray.
Folks - if you want 2004 to be better - more effective- and different from 2003 - take time to stop and stop starts with silence. And after you stop - it's time for #2.
II Evaluate based on Balance
Here's what we (me & God) worked through this week (at Fuddruckers) - (from the Bible) as I approach another new year . . . and I think it's probably the same steop Moses took after his conversation with his father-in-law . . .
Ecc 7: 16-18 - were the verses I read . . .
"Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise- why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool- why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes ."
I like that picture for our lives . . . holding on to one extreme in the one hand and then holding the opposite extreme in the other.
And life happening in the balance . . . Here's what I worked through this week . . . and I do this every January . . . I asked God to help me evaluate 6 different areas of my life . . . Looking for Balance.
Take this out - grab a pen . . . do this with me. Goal - to look like a bicycle wheel - balance - so as to not have such a rough ride . . . Now - I took some time on this probably about ½ hour - but just take a moment or tow to walk yourself through this. Folks - here's the challenge - 5 minutes in a weekend service is not enough - take sometime to first stop and then evaluate this week . . . (it will make a difference).
- Now - we'll do more with this in a minute but . . . for each of us . . . even getting to the point of self-evaluation is a very healthy step . . . - Balance being the key . . . . . .
III. Change come from the Centre
I want to talk about where the power to change our lives come from . . . just in case anyone here was thinking this is just some self help human exercise I'm asking you to do . . . No . . . This is intensely spiritual . . . and here's why . . . (turn paper over) - Look at the Balance wheel . . . Here's the principle to clearly understand.
Real change can only occur when you are connected with Jesus Christ at the centre of every area of your life . . .and this is a mistake so many people make . . . we compartmentalize our lives . . . and we say . . . marriage is here - work is here - relationship are here - God is here . . . and we only allow God to have a very small portion of our lives . . . a compartment . . .
Well here's the truth of today's message . . . . . . catch this . . . You will never sense the life changing power of God by putting him in a compartment . . .
He must be the hub of the wheel - the centre of our lives in which the power to change (the rest of our lives) comes from . . . the power to bring change to every area of our lives comes from His power working in the centre of . . . our lives . . . Let me emphasize this by a story from Jesus . . . life . . .
I love reading the Gospel of Mark - Mark is the action writer of the Bible. Mark was caught up in his writing by the energy and schedule and demand that was placed on Jesus' life..and the action that God called him to.
- Mark - Crowds - Timing - Urgency - Pressure - Activity - Passion
Jesus' life was full and intense and pressure-packed - no question. So how did He stay on track and on mission with the vision God had called Him to? How did He battle the noise of life - to live a life of significance? Well by having a very strong centre to his life.
Let's look at Mark 1:35. Right in the middle of all this pressure and action and people and stress and noise and success, comes this verse...
"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."
Jesus had this uncanny ability to read Himself very well - He knew when His physical, emotional, and spiritual tanks were running low, and He didn't risk any one of them going empty. Instead He simply said - I've got to get away - alone. I've got to listen and refocus and recalibrate. I've got to slow down enough to take an honest look at how I'm living and then listen for the next move God wants me to make in the mission. - I've got to live from the center out . . . And right after that alone time - Jesus makes a significant course and direction change in his life . . .
- Because after connecting with the center - and after intense self examination from the center out - after that comes clarity . . . And Folks - clarity for all of life only can come from one place and that is Jesus Christ . . . and being with him every day . . .
IV. Proceed by Incremental Action
Folks let me wrap this up with an obvious point . . .that unless there is action coming out of evaluation - there is no point to it - and let's be clear on this as well - that God is very much about action and change in our lives . . .
I have often seen many well meaning followers of Christ who are a little confused on the action front - (God does not call us to simply sit in silence at the stop signs of life) (God does not call us to simply sit in silence at the stop signs of life) . . . He calls us to take those moments and then use his power to not only transform every part of our lives - but also the lives of those around us . . . God wants us to implement change courageously as He partners with us to balance the different areas of our lives . . . (key line) God wants us to implement change courageously as He partners with us to balance the different areas of our lives . . .
Listen to how the apostle Paul addressed the issue of action towards change. Philippians 3:13b-14
"But this one thing I do . . . Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Paul - was a guy who understood stop signs and hearing the whisper of God - and he understood intense evaluation and discipline. - But his whole life was centred around action (he got tons of stuff done) - taking practical steps towards life change - using God's power. This one thing I do - Paul was a master at partnering with God to produce change not only in his own life - but also in the world around him . . . - And He calls us to do the same in our lives.
So my question to you is this . . .
What's the one thing you will focus on today? What's the one thing tomorrow? What's the one area of your life that you could change one day at a time?
- Folks - God's power is available to each of us . . . . . . and He is in the business of transforming lives . . . and from what I can see - this is often the process He uses . . .
STOP - Starts with Silence
EVALUATE - Based on Balance
CHANGE - Comes from the Centre (Jesus Christ)
IMPLEMENT - With Incremental Action
Don't dive into 2004 without activating this in your life. |
