"Focus on 4: Spiritual Resolutions"

My resolutions in 2007: slow down, enjoy life more, laugh more, eat less, engage with the family more and lose 15 lbs. This week I did what I always do the first week of January, make a list of things I want to change or develop or remove from my life. It’s always a great week for me looking ahead and thinking about a positive future.

Today is all about how we can have a new start spiritually in 2007 and what things we can put in place to ensure a great future with God.

For the past 10 months or so God has been placing me in several different learning situations where the very same messages have been preached or taught or discussed. Last February, in a small group setting with six pastors this topic came up. God spoke to us. Last April in a different setting with twenty pastors, the same topic was discussed. Last August, a different setting with two hundred pastors, and last October, one hundred pastors in a different setting with the same topic. All of these were in church leadership gatherings and at first I thought it was just something God wanted to say to me, but I think it’s more for the whole church in North America.

Here are the questions these guys were asking and trying to answer:

1. How (are we) am I developing and ensuring soul strength over the long haul?
2. How can I build stamina in my spiritual life?
3. How can I ensure that spiritually the final 1/3 of my life will be stronger and better and more effective than the first 2/3’s?

Essentially what does this spiritual journey really look like over a

life time and how does it happen? So, today as we start a new year, I’m gonna pass on what I’ve been learning and my hope is that I will not get in the way of what God wants to say or drop the ball.

Lean in and try and get what God is saying to you – a simple message to learn but hard to master.

Colossians 2:6 & 7 (NIV)

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Hold that in your mind through the next 20 minutes. Let me tell you about two fellas that have been on my mind these past weeks, Rufus and Lloyd.

Rufus Jones was born in 1863 and lived to be 85 years old. Rufus was a writer and an editor and a college professor, but most of all Rufus was a man of God whose faith was real and authentic and continued to grow and develop and deepen throughout his entire life time. Rufus was a Quaker, that was his church affiliation, and dedicated his life to seeking peace in non-confrontational ways and to seek resolution to deep divisions whether that was in relationships or the church or in the world. Now Rufus accomplished a lot of things in his life but most significantly he accomplished great things in his 60’s and 70’s and even into this 80’s. During his latter years Rufus was called upon more and more to use his wisdom and experience and his faith to change how something like missions were approached world wide and to create change in world views about humanitarian aid to 3rd world countries. At age 75, in 1938, he went with a delegation to Germany to try and find a peaceful way of dealing with the Nazi’s. At age 75 he was called upon to try to stop the 2nd World War.

Now I tell you about Rufus Jones not because of his accomplishments, which were many, but because of his faith. Rufus Jones’ spiritual life and his relationship with God developed over time so that He was actually more loved and more effective as the years went by.

His faith developed and then multiplied over time so that he was sweeter and wiser and more used by God at 75 than he was at 40. When I read about Rufus I thought there’s something about his spiritual life that he got that lots of us are missing.

And then I want to tell you about Lloyd Colborne. Lloyd is 80 something years old. He’s just old. Lloyd, like Rufus, has found a way for his faith and life to get stronger and deeper and sweeter and to have a huge impact on young leaders in this church in his 60’s yes, but more in his 70’s and 80’s than ever before in his life.

When they took away Lloyd’s drivers’ license a few years ago he said, “Dean, it’s hard but God knows what I need and He’s good. I’ve got lots to be thankful for.” When his eyes got so bad he was called legally blind he said, “Dean it’s hard without my eyesight, but my spirit is strong and God is so good. Why wouldn’t I be thankful.”

Lloyd has seen church changes and worship style changes and young preachers fumble with the truth and yet he has stayed with us.

A few weeks ago during the 7 deadly sins series Lloyd and I were talking about the message on envy and he said, “ I don’t think I’m envious. I wish things were different with my eyesight, but I’ve got so much to be thankful for. I can still see enough to eat – amazing.”

And now Lloyd’s ministry is to pray. Lloyd came to me a few years ago and said “Dean, I can’t do anything else, I don’t have a ministry, so I guess I’ll pray. Now Lloyd prays everyday over a list of 135 names that are memorized because he can’t read; 135 youth leaders and children’s ministry leaders and staff members and board members and lots of you.

Now whenever I see Lloyd I can’t help but think that his prayers are having huge impact in the kingdom of God and in our church and I am always so humbled when I’m with Lloyd because here’s a man who has little or no activity and yet his faith is moving mountains and changing lives. How is it that Lloyd has been able to take his faith deeper with age and how is it that his faith has made him sweeter and wiser and have greater impact at 84 than lots of us have at 40? How is it that in the final 1/3 of their lives guys like Lloyd and Rufus have been so blessed by God?

I read Psalm 1 again this week and it reminded me of Lloyd. Catch this:

Psalm 1:1-3 (NLT)

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

See, somehow Lloyd and Rufus were able to put down deep roots spiritually throughout their lives and now during old age when life can be somewhat dry and damaging to the tree trunk, their roots have found water and their spirits are flourishing when everyone else’s are fading.

So folks, my question when I read those verses and when I hear stories about guys like Rufus Jones and guys like Lloyd Colborne is always the same; how can I get to be like them when I am old? What road do I need to walk on to become like them? How does that kind of a spiritual life develop in our lives over the long haul? Wouldn’t it be the goal for us as a church to graduate 1000’s and 1000’s of people from this community into heaven that looked like and acted like Lloyd and Rufus and Jesus.

And really that’s it isn’t it? The reason we love to hear stories about people like Lloyd and Rufus is because somehow they, throughout their lives, became more and more like Jesus every day. Deep down we know that that is the goal don’t we? I mean even if we find ourselves in an incredibly demanding and busy season of our life right now when our prayers are whispered on the run and our bible hasn’t been opened in weeks. Even if that’s our story, we know that none of that “busy stuff” is the real goal don’t we? We know that the real goal is to somehow become more and more like Jesus. Or, even if we have just come through a dry season or a dark season or a sin filled season spiritually, we still know the goal don’t we? The goal is this: that somehow we must become more like Jesus as we walk through this life.

So my question is, how does this really happen? Well, there is some good news because I think the answer may be not as complex as we might think it is. Here’s the whole message in a nutshell. This is what I believe to be true. Spiritual depth over the long haul happens by simply walking with Jesus every day. I don’t think it’s any more or less than that.

Now I don’t want to over simplify things, but again my role this weekend is to tell you what I think God has been telling me for a few months about us. The message is simple but it’s not easy; simple to learn and hard to master.

I think God is asking us to refocus and recalibrate and re-ignite our personal daily walk with Him. And I think my job is to simply tell you that God wants us to quicken our step spiritually during the days and months and years ahead.

But what is the key to seeing that happen? Simple, the key is this: the more we walk with Jesus the more we become like him.

It could it be that our picture of “spiritual depth maturity” is the wrong one! Maybe spiritual maturity is just a continuous daily journey and not nearly as much of a destination as we might think. Maybe it doesn’t look exactly like we think it does - boom like Lloyd. Maybe spiritual growth and depth really is about today and about my heart’s direction today and about my minds desire to learn more about Jesus today. Maybe our level of depth spiritually is really only about our level of desire and commitment to follow Jesus today and every day.

Let’s look at Psalm 1 again. Remember, Psalm 1 is our description of Lloyd and Rufus. Psalm 1 is the goal spiritually, right? To become like the guy in Psalm 1 with deep roots:

Psalm 1:3 (NIV)

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Now, we all read that and say “wow, that’s a great picture. Hope that’s me when I’m old!” But here’s the part we kinda skip over in our desire to become a mature, solid, deep roots, never fading spiritually, completely alive when we’re old kinda tree. It’s the 2 verses before that description that we skip over. They describe how he got deep roots.

Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

That’s how to get deep roots. So here’s what I think: I think the key to becoming like Lloyd and Rufus and Jesus, the key to growing deep roots is right in these 2 verses, not in the 3rd verse.

The key to understanding Lloyd or Rufus is in seeing what they did to give them deep roots not just knowing that at 85 they’ve got some deep roots. And folks, what they did is simply followed Jesus every day in an intentional way for a lifetime.

So what am I saying? I’m saying that if you and I want to move our spiritual lives forward this season, if we want deeper roots and to make sure that our leaves don’t wither and that this year 2007 is a year we add to the depth of our spirit’s and the size of our tree, then we have some clear intentional actions steps to take by faith. These are not just self help, not just do these 4 things and you’ll be great spiritually. But these are 4 faith steps to focus on during the year ahead and if you are intentional about these I believe your spiritual life will expand.

1. Learn to love reading God’s word

Psalm 1:2a

But his (this deep roots guy) delight is in the law of the LORD, in reading and understanding God’s words. The Bible.

Folks, let me hold something up in front of you as you start this New Year. This book holds the secrets to life. It is full of wisdom and truth. If you’re searching for truth in life, look here. If you need wisdom for 2007, look here. If you need spiritual guidance or life coaching or help in your family or at work, don’t look to Oprah or Dr. Phil, look here.

In these pages is life and the very words of God and if you and I want to grow deep roots we’ve gotta learn to love and delight and get energy from reading God’s word. That’s Focus # 1.

2. Learn to Journal.

Psalm 1:2b

And on God’s word he (the deep roots guy) meditates day and night.

Learn how to ponder/reflect/meditate on God and His word. Read God’s word and then ask:

How can I put it into my life? Make it relate to my life? Think about it all the time? Write it down!

Then I write out my thoughts and prayers. “God your word says not to worry and I’m worrying about this or that. Teach me how to apply faith against my worry and fear.”

Folks, if you and I want deep roots we’ve got to learn to journal and reflect and ponder and meditate on God’s word and with God himself everyday. That’s where deep roots come from. Jacqueline Kroeker has classes beginning next weekend on spiritual disciplines; how to read and pray and study. Sign up!

Focus # 3

3. Be aggressive against sin

Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man (deep roots guy) who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

Folks, if you want to develop deep roots in 2007 then stay away from sin - walk on another road.

Basically this says the deep roots guy knows what stuff he’s doing that is sin and then stops doing it. He stops putting himself in situations or around other people that lead him to sin and away from God.

Deep roots guys don’t play with sin. They aggressively walk on different paths/roads then the ones that lead to sin. Deep roots guys get rid of the home computer if they’re addicted to pornography. Deep roots guys stay out of the bar if they can’t quit sinning with alcohol. Deep roots guys just say no to work or travel or their friends or hockey or golf or another night out if it’s affecting their marriage.

Focus #4

4. Find a mentor

You know I wondered about putting this in here. But really, one of the best ways to get to be like Lloyd is to hang out with Lloyd, and there are lots of Lloyd’s that go to this church.

I was 22 years old when I came to this church, and no sniff spiritually. Over the last 19 years, I have been mentored by guys who were ahead of me all the time, guys like Lloyd and Lee Barbon and Neil Nickel and Daryl Schmidt and Mark Jacobson and Brad Hamm. I still am learning by watching guys who are ahead of me.

So, here’s a thought. What if each of us found a spiritual mentor in 2007 and just watched and listened and learned about the rhythm of their spiritual lives. Coffee once a month for an hour, don’t you think that would deepen our roots? If you need help connecting, contact Jacqueline K, Elizabeth N, Brad H, Gloria R, or Jason V.

The key to all I’m saying in these 4 focus points is this: I think we all need to be much more intentional about our spiritual lives than we are. I really believe that. Spiritual depth and maturity will happen in your life if you aggressively and intentionally follow Jesus everyday in your own personal spiritual walk.

I Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT) Paul put it like this:

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 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.

Folks, my goals for the year ahead are to try and motivate and then resource every one of you to begin to train yourself spiritually and to quicken your walk with Christ. And, for us as a church, to learn to do spiritual practices over time that will enhance and expand our ability to walk with Christ.

Catch this! I’m saying that you and I need to get on a strict diet spiritually and a strict training schedule of spiritual exercise, because I think there’s a very good chance that we’re a bit out of shape. If we really do want to be deep and mature like Lloyd and Rufus and Jesus when we’re old, then we need to step up and walk with Christ now, not just hear about somebody else who walked with Him. We need to get to know Christ now not just know more about Him. Sounds harsh, but I think we’re often under the impression that somebody else is gonna do it for us and it’s not true.

Hear this, we do not naturally drift towards spiritual maturity. No, in fact the natural drift of our lives if left alone, is to move away from Jesus.

And people, our walk towards Jesus and toward spiritual depth and maturity should be compelling and should get us out of bed in the morning and each day we should be saying, “God are you still calling me and is my walk relevant?”.

And folks, it’s in this everyday gotta have it, gotta want it, gotta see Jesus, gotta learn more about following Him, gotta get a little more hungry kinda pursuit, somewhere, that spiritual depth happens. Okay?

Focus on 4 in 2007: learn to love reading the Bible, figure out this journaling thing, get aggressive against sin in your life and find a mentor.

To close, 2 ways to engage in this:

Go take communion in the Atrium Room across the lobby and take time to talk to God about your desires spiritually in the year ahead. Also, sign up for Jackie’s classes on Spiritual Discipline.