"The Interesting Kind of Christianity"

(Taken from "The Externally Focused Church" by Rick Rusaw & Eric Swanson)

Jeremiah 29:7-13

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Introduction: When our government was first set up, it was put in the first amendment that there was to be a separation between church and state. The reason for this was to get away from how the king of England had dictated to the church what they could teach, and what they could do. It was actually envisioned that the church would help to direct the government, not the other way around. But in modern time, this has been turned around. The first amendment right of separation of church and state has become the emphasis for keeping the church out of government decisions.

Have you ever felt that people have gotten to a place where they no longer want to hear about religion? Do you feel that people think the church has no place in their lives and in the government? In many ways this is true. So many people have closed themselves off from the church. They might still believe in Jesus, but not in the church, and the message of the church.

Today we start a new series from themes of a wonderful book titled: “The Externally Focused Church,” by Rick Rusaw & Eric Swanson (Group Publishers, 2004). The wonder of this book is that is gives example after example of churches that have decided to get involved in making a difference in their community, and the positive impact it has had for both community and church.

I. Selfless Demonstrations- (Matthew 9:35-38)

a. Let them see you care- I believe there is a new awakening going on

in our society. This new awakening is about the proclaiming of the gospel, the good news that God loves all, and desires to be in a relationship with all. But this new awakening is happening in a different way than in the past. The new awakening is happening more along the lines of how it happened in Jesus’ time. It is happening by the church going out into the community.

You have probably heard the saying: “People won’t care what you have to say, until they see how much you care.” This is a telling statement for what is needed for churches who are wanting to impact their communities. The people won’t listen to what the church has to say, until they see that the church really cares.

EX. Fellowship Bible Church, Little Rock Arkansas. This church got over a thousand people to descend upon the public schools in their area to help renovate the schools. The people from the church were not invited by the schools, so needless to say, the schools were quite surprised when these people showed up. And they were speechless as they watched these volunteers rebuild playgrounds, landscape entryways, lay carpet, construct cabinets, and paint hallways & classrooms.

Those who witnessed this service were touched by these selfless demonstrations of help and love. And they began to believe that the church just might have something worth listening to. One fourth-grade teacher, amazed at what she saw, said: “If this is Christianity, then I’m interested.”

You see, this is how the community around us is going to be interested in the message of God’s love, and salvation through Jesus; by our selfless demonstrations of love. It is something that they need to see in action first, before they will come to hear. In Matthew 9:35-38, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

The hearing that Jesus got from the people was because he went out into the

community, and was healing He was healing people. Through healing people, Jesus showed that He cared about them. As the people saw Jesus’ love demonstrated, it led them to want to hear His message. This is the model that the church needs to follow. And the churches that are following this model, are making an impact in the world for the Kingdom of God.

What really takes place when we do this, is that people come to know who we are. I know that when people see our sign, and they read “Presbyterian” on the sign, they don’t know what Presbyterian is, and are often kept away by our name. By connecting with our community, we are no longer seen as some secret society, but we are flesh and blood people, who truly care for others. In essence, we become one of them.

b. Community Engagement- We will talk more in point 2 about what

it means to be an externally focused church. But for our information here, I want us to understand that it is about engaging the community. About a year ago, when we were having our church meeting to talk about the vision God has for our church, we did an exercise where we talked about the history of the church. We began to think about how this church got started, and how it grew.

What caused the church to grow? Part of it was an urgency about needing new members. And because of this urgency, people were led to invite others to church. But what supported this growth, was the fact that in the 1930’s and 1940’s, people were more likely to come to church when they were invited.

But then a change took place, when during WWII, women went to work. And then after the war, women continued to work. And with the women being in the work force, it started to change the family structure, and the family schedule. Along with this, there came a time when businesses started to be open for business on Sundays, and sports were scheduled on Sundays. This all caused competition for the church, and people had to start choosing what they were going to do on Sunday.

As time has gone on, church was no longer the main option for people. And consequently, people don’t just come to church because it is Sunday, or because they are invited. There is a new challenge for the church to get the message of God out to the people. The answer to this challenge is community engagement.

The good news, is that the idea of becoming engaged with our community is not a new idea. There are many examples of other churches that are doing this, as we will see in our series throughout the month of November.

c. Introduction- Winston Churchill once said: “We make a living by

what we get; we make a life by what we give.” EX. A number of years ago Chuck Colson talks of a prayer breakfast that he attended. At this prayer breakfast there were some powerful people like, the president of the United States, senators, congressman, industry leaders, and heads of state. But the most powerful person was the person who spoke: Mother Theresa. Her power didn’t come from her position, or her title, or her wealth, but from her role as a servant. When she spoke, everyone listened. She earned this power to be heard through a lifetime of service.

I don’t think that people would argue that Christians shouldn’t serve. The problem is that statistics show that less and less people are putting forth the time and energy to serve. It is not a philosophical problem. It is a practical problem. And even more, the church is becoming more and more marginalized in society, and less and less influential.

Why has the church lost her influence? First, even though we have a compelling message, we don’t always share the message in a compelling way. Second, we are speaking a truth to a world that no longer believes in this truth./ And so we have to change the way the message is conveyed. Instead of trying to tell people right off that they need Jesus and the love of God, we need to find a way to share the love of God with them through acts of service.

As I said at the beginning of this sermon, there is a wonderful movement that is creeping its way across churches of all shapes, sizes, and denominations. These churches are evaluating what really matters, and have decided that what really matters is service. They are becoming more and more outwardly focused. They are integrating the good news of Jesus, with good deeds. And because of this, they would be greatly missed if they ever left their community.

Our church is doing a number of things that impact our community; our computer classes, our bread ministry, our food pantry, our open chapel, our giving away free Bibles... But we need to continue this momentum, and find ways to connect these good deeds with the good and compelling message of Jesus Christ.

II. What is an externally focused church? (Isaiah 1:13-17; Jeremiah 29:7,

11; Mark 10:45; Luke 9:2; Acts 10:36-38)

a. Who is the target? As I talked about last week, the difference

between an internally focused church, and an externally focused church is where its resources are used. An internally focused church uses its resources for only those who are members, and the programs that exist in the church. An externally focused church uses some of its resources to impact the lives of others in its community.

There are powerful words from God, in the book of Isaiah, that talk about this; Isaiah 1:13-17, “Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. ¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; ¹⁶ wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, ¹⁷ learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”/ These are words that remind us that our faith is inadequate when we focus on loving God, but forget about loving others! God calls us to build bridges to our community instead of walls around ourselves.

Now there does need to be a slight warning, and that is that we can’t serve everybody in our community. We have limited resources, and so we have to determine what God is calling us to do within the capability of our resources. We have to seek out who our target audience is to be.

Although everyone that is outside of the church is a potential ministry focus, there are 2 groups on which we need to focus. The first group is those who would be considered marginal. God has always had a place for marginal people; those who are broken, and outcast. Examples in the Bible of people in this category are: orphans, widows, prisoners, aliens, the homeless, the poor, the sick, and the disabled. We can’t do ministry to every group in this list, but we do need to have a heart that is willing to show mercy to these people when we encounter them.

The second group is the city. It is about seeking to be a blessing to the city we live in. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Do you think if Jesus lived in Long Beach, He would have a plan for the city of Long Beach? I DO. And so, as God’s people, and God’s church, we need to seek out how we can play a part in this plan. Earlier in this chapter of Jeremiah, 29:7, it says: “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” By helping our city to prosper, we prosper as well. The two, in many ways, are connected.

Do you remember Jesus’ first miracle? It was simply turning some water into wine. Jesus was at a wedding, and the host ran out of wine. So Jesus turned some water into wine. It was a simple show of love. It didn’t change the kingdom. But it did deeply touch the lives of those whose wedding it was!

Externally focused churches bring beauty to their communities…. Our computer class may not change the world for the kingdom of God, but they do bring beauty to our community. Leaving our chapel open for prayer won’t change the kingdom. But it does offer people a place of beauty and blessing.

b. Four important characteristics- So let’s look at 4 important

characteristics that will help us to be obedient to this call of God to seek the peace and prosperity of the city. First, externally focused churches are convinced that good deeds and the good news of God can’t be separated. In Acts 10:36-38 we are told: “good news…through Jesus Christ…and…he went around doing good…because God was with Him.” When Jesus sent out the disciples, in Luke 9:2, “He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God [the good news] and to heal the sick [the good deeds].”

Second, externally focused churches see themselves as vital to the health and well-being of their communities. We need to believe that this community would not be as healthy if we didn’t exist. In this way, we understand that we have a purpose. We are told in the Bible to be in the world, but not of the world. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t connect ourselves with our community. It is just that, the way we connect ourselves should always show the love of God, and the way of God. “It is only when the church is mixed into the very life and conversation of the city that it can be an effective force for change.” (The Externally Focused Church, p. 25)

Third, the externally focused church believes that ministering and serving go hand and hand as we live out our Christian faith. As we talked about last week, living out your Christian faith is about serving others in the name of Christ. We need to have the same desire as Christ. We are told by Christ in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” We have to be convinced that it isn’t enough just to learn through instruction, but understand that we really can’t grow unless we are involved in service…………Fourth, externally focused churches are evangelistically effective. What is meant by this, is that the growth of the church needs to happen with new Christians. The statistics show us that churches aren’t growing all that much, and the growth that is happening is transfer growth (people transferring from one church to another church). This kind of growth takes time and effort. It takes the effort of our building relationships with others so that they move to a place where they want to hear how Jesus has made a difference in our lives, and how Jesus can make a difference in their lives. And this kind of relationship building takes time.

Conclusion: As we continue in our series over the next few weeks, it is important to note that there is no one model to become an externally focused church. While we will hear examples of how other churches are becoming significant through reaching out, we will have to discover our own style and call from God. To do this we need to identify specific needs in our community, and then start ministries or programs that will help to meet those needs. It could be expanding our computer classes, or teaching ESL classes, or doing a reading program for children. But whatever it is, it is about carrying the message of Jesus Christ to the community around us in a way that compels them to hear and believe. Amen.

"Playing For All Your Worth"
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Romans 12:3-6
Series: "From Success To Significance"

Introduction: In sports, every team has a star. What makes them a star? Usually they are the ones who make the winning play; they are the ones that can stay calm under pressure; they are the ones whose skill level is greater than the rest. But there is a problem with this, and that is that the star grabs more attention than the rest of the team. And while this is not surprising, it is not what a team should be about. A team is created to work together. Without the other members of the team, the star would not be what he or she is; the team could not win without all the members.

However, being part of a team doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t seek to be the best they can be. It is very common, in the off-season, for athletes to work on areas of their game that are weak. This way they become a better player, which will ultimately benefit the team. This morning, we conclude our series in the book “From Success to Significance.” Today we are going to look at how you can play the game of life for all that you are worth, and by doing so, benefit the kingdom of God as well.

I. Healthy Individualism- (1 Corinthians 12:12, 15-21a; Luke 12:13-21)

There are many who think that once you become a Christian, you lose your individualism. But the truth is, our individualism is encouraged and needed, but it needs to be used in the context of the body of Christ. We are individuals in our strengths and weaknesses; our strengths help the body, and the body helps us in our weakness. But even though we are individuals, we are not separate from the body; we need to live our lives in the context of the body of Christ, the Church.

The truth is, we are designed by the creator, but our lives are incomplete. Nobody is perfect. Nobody is gifted in every area. We are created to be dependent on our Creator, and dependent on others. Now this might be surprising to you, because we live in a very individualistic society. From early on we are taught to be independent and to make it on our own. But that is contrary to what we are told in the Bible. As 1 Corinthians 12:12, 15-21a says: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don't need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don't need you!’” The individualism in the Bible is the individualism of the eye or the foot—a part that functions as part of a larger, harmonious whole. Hans Selye, a biologist from Canada, wrote a landmark book entitled “The Stress of Life.” In this book he writes how he learned that those who earn the goodwill of their neighbors are dramatically better off psychologically and physiologically than those who are looked upon as selfish and greedy. This is why we are not only called by God to love God, but to love our neighbors as well. We are “individuals” of a team. In a team, each person brings their own strengths. But the real strength of a team comes when the team learns how to play together and compliment each other. A team can have great individual talents, but if they work independently of each other, they will not be successful. So we need to seek to understand our giftedness and talents, but not just for our own benefit. Once we know what we are good at, we need to look at ways that we can benefit others. If you were to read the parable of the rich fool, in Luke chapter 12, you would see that this rich man spends his time accumulating riches for himself only. But when he dies and comes to judgment before God, God is not pleased with his selfishness. The rich man was not a team player!

II. Life-long Learning- (Proverbs 4:7)

School is important. It teaches us the basics of life that helps us to function well. We learn math, and reading. We learn how to think and to write. But the truth is, learning needs to be a life-long process. If you stop learning after you are done with school, you will struggle in your life.

After the learning we gain in school, we must learn how to deal with pain in our lives, and change in our lives. We need to learn how to think critically, and how to get along with others. We need to learn what will help us live out our mission for life. Those who have stopped learning after their formal education are those who will struggle to have joy and understanding in life. Their minds become dormant.

So how do we learn without a classroom? The good news, is that there are many ways.

1. Listening and asking- One way is to listen and ask. Listening and

asking is like becoming 2 years old again. Two year olds ask why, why why, because they are curious to know things. We have to gain back that desire to be curious and to understand why. Asking questions, and then listening is one of the best ways to learn. I love to see how new Christians are so interested in asking questions and learning about their faith, and about God, and about the Bible, and about Jesus, and about how all this fits together with how they should live their lives.

2. Books- A second way to continue to learn, is through books.

Reading is great for the mind. It is also a great way to learn. Read both Christian and secular books. By doing this you will be challenged with a variety of perspectives, and will be stretched in your understanding of events.

3. Conferences- A third way is through conferences. I know for me,

when I go to conferences and seminars, I am challenged in my mind. I make sure that while I am there I take notes, although brief ones, so that I can go back and review what I’ve learned more easily. I have learned that when I take too extensive of notes, it will keep me from being able to review and remember what is important to learn.

4. People- A fourth way to learn is through other people. There are

people around us who have knowledge we don’t have. When you talk to people, try to learn from them. Even ask them questions so that you might learn more. Don’t be embarrassed by thinking that they might think you are not knowledgeable. This is often what keeps us from seeking to learn, and then we won’t be knowledgeable.

5. Travel- Fifth, is to learn through your travels. Whenever you

travel you should take some time to learn. You can learn geography, history, art, music, and so on… I have never been that good at geography. But I do know that because our family has traveled to South Dakota and back many times, I have a better understanding of where the states are.

Other kinds of places you can learn is the television, tapes, magazines, newspapers, and so on. As Proverbs 4:7 says: “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

III. Respect for Externals-

Do you know much about a bassoon? A bassoon is really only good within an orchestra. Violins, trumpets, pianists, have need in a variety of settings, even as soloists. But the bassoon is really only needed in an orchestra. They are a complementary instrument.

To do well in our calling for God, we need to do 2 things:

1. Be willing to be team players. We need to understand that it is

more about being a team player than being a soloist. We need to find the security that allows us to not have to stand out. We need to learn how to be complementary.

2. We also need to learn to accept external conditions. If we can look

at the external conditions around us, and accept them, then we might be able to adapt ourselves to use these conditions to our advantage. Sometimes, this will help direct us into a different area.

Example- When computers were becoming big, IBM was the big computer maker. So when Bill Gates decided to go into the computer business, instead of trying to compete with IBM in making computers, he decided to focus on software for the computer, and this is how Microsoft became so big.

There are times in life when we aren’t accepting the external reality. It could

be the external reality of your work (maybe it isn’t the right job or right career); it could be the external reality of your family (you desire your family to be there for you, but they are not); it could be the external reality of your health (you think you should be more healthy, but the truth is that you are as healthy as you are going to be). Once we accept our external reality, it allows us to move beyond it to a healthier and happier place; a place where God can work in and through us.

But along with our external realities, it is also important to understand the

authority reality. We have to understand that we are under the authority of Christ, and not our own authority. This is playing by the rules. EX. If you’re going to play tennis, you have to serve behind the line and keep the ball within the sidelines. If you’re playing basketball, you have to dribble the ball up the court; you can’t just pick the ball up and run. And like it or not, the rules of God govern our behavior. Follow the rules, and our chances of doing well in life will increase greatly.

The irony of the gospel is that the more you submit to the authority of Christ, the more free you become. You become free because you can give things over to the Lord, and not worry about them; you will be able to live with your problems. And this is very freeing. Our problems won’t go away, but we will be in a better place to deal with them, and turn them into opportunities for living out our mission.

IV. A Hidden Wholeness- (Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Romans 12:3-6)

The truth is that getting from the mindset of success, to the mindset of significance, is not easy. It does not happen in a week, a month, or a year. And the lines between the halves are not always clear. This shouldn’t be discouraging; it is just reality. It shouldn’t frustrate you, but cause you to work harder.

EX. Last spring Tyler was playing baseball. He got drafted into the majors, and we decided to let him go up. The majors are kids aged 10-12. So as a ten year old, Tyler was one of the smallest and youngest kids. We thought it would be a good challenge for him. Tyler overall did very well. He became a very solid center fielder. And because of this, he played almost every inning of every game. This was great for a 10-year-old. But the one place he struggled was at batting. Tyler was having to bat against 11 and 12 year old pitchers. These kids were much bigger than him, and threw the ball 50 – 60 miles per hour. That is quite a challenge for a 10-year-old. At times Tyler got frustrated (not out in the field, but when he was up to bat). But I told him that it shouldn’t discourage him, it should cause him to be more determined, and to lead him to work harder. I do have to say that that experience has really helped him, and he is doing well here in the fall.

In life, we will have times that are more challenging than others. We will have to make tough choices, and make sacrifices. But if we are committed to playing the whole game well, and work hard along the way, it will pay off. We will be able to play for all that we are worth. As we are told in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Thomas Merton wrote that all you really need is in your life already. He called it the “hidden wholeness.” What he meant was that you do not need to chase after things outside of you to find fulfillment. Even though that’s what most of us do in the first half of our faith, we eventually learn that money, fame, material possessions, and experiences will never fill us. What we become in the second half of our faith has already been invested during the first; it is not going to come from out of the blue. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:3-6, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.” God has planted in our souls a desire to connect with Him and then pro-vided a way for us to do it. But remember that the journey itself is the essence of life.

V. A 50/50 Proposition- (Matthew 28:18-20)

Story: There is a story of 2 men, Sandy Kress (a Jewish lawyer), and Don

Williams (a Christian businessman), who put their heads together to try and improve the Dallas school system. They felt that the missing piece of the puzzle was the moral and values dimension. Part of what they came up with was the 50/50 principle. The basic idea was the challenging of churches to allocate 50% of their resources to themselves, and 50% to serving their community and world. Now this is a pretty radical proposition. But what difference would be made in our community, if every church in our community adopted this challenge?

In the month of November, we are going to be able to look at this more closely, because we will be going through some themes from a book entitled “The Externally Focused Church.” Churches are finding out more and more that to be significant for God, they need to delve into their communities more!

The 50/50 church reaches out to serve its surrounding community, living out its proclamation of the gospel, instead of trying to get people to “adhere” to its way of thinking. This is not to say that people don’t need to hear about Jesus and receive Jesus. This is not to say that people don’t need to change their behavior. But for too many churches it becomes about membership, and not about people becoming followers of Jesus. We are more into making members, than disciples.

One of the tragedies of people who are living in the first half of their faith, is that they are encouraged to be selfish. In our society, even faith is thought to be a “private matter.” This is true of churches as well. So many are only concerned with what happens in their church walls. It is like a country club, where if you are not a member, then you don’t matter. Churches are selfish in this way.

But this was never the call of Jesus. Jesus was always concerned with those who were on the outside. Jesus was always concerned with those who didn’t belong. Jesus regularly called the religious leaders to reach out beyond themselves. When Jesus gave the great commission, in Matthew 28:18-20, he said: “‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

When Jesus was gathering followers, He didn’t say, “Go and become a member of the synagogue.” He said, “Come, follow me.” First and foremost Jesus was concerned with people knowing Him and following Him. That should be a major goal and focus of our church. It is a major part of our mission statement. So we should live out this mission in the way we do ministry.

If we have the dreams God wants us to dream, then being a 50/50 church is the way to start moving. This will take courage, and energy, and determination, and time. This is what it means to reevaluate the game plan, and play to be significant!

Conclusion: Bob Buford, the author of the book “From Success to Significance,” had a wonderful transformation in his life. He understood that being a Christian was more than just believing. Being a Christian is a call from God to be who we were created to be. As Buford said, “It is my duty and mission to put to work what I am good at, rather than to do what I would love to do.” Although I would add that what we are good at is usually what we love to do as well.

I hope that what you will take away from this series is this: God is speaking to us every day, whispering to us what He wants us to do, where He wants us to go, and how He wants us to act. We have to get past the desire to be selfish and in control, and let God be our authority and guide. We have to seek to become the person God created us to be. We have to use our resources (both as individuals and as a church) 50% for ourselves, and 50% for the mission of God. Are you willing to accept this challenge? If you are, you will move from the first half of your faith to the second half. And you will move from the desire to be successful, to the greater accomplishment of being significant. I hope you will join me in this journey. Amen.

“Finding Your One Thing”

Ephesians 2:3-10

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Series: "From Success To Significance"

Introduction: Religious Philosopher Blaise Pascal once said: “I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room…What people want is not the easy peaceful life that allows us to think of our unhappy condition, nor the dangers of war, nor the burdens of office, but the agitation that takes our mind off it and diverts us. That is why we prefer the hunt to the capture. That is why men are so fond of hustle and bustle; that is why prison is such a fearful punishment; that is why the pleasures of solitude are so incomprehensible.” Now some of you may like to be alone. But what Pascal is saying here is that we want to be busy, because when we are busy we don’t have to think about our lives; we don’t have to think about how we are unhappy; we don’t have to stop and reflect upon how we are not accomplishing much with our lives.

This morning, as we continue our series in the book “From Success to Significance,” we are going to learn how to take stock of our lives, and get a better feel for what God wishes us to do. Or as Soren Kierkegaard said: “The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do…to find the idea for which I can live and die.”

I. Taking Stock- (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 139:23-24)

Sports are very popular in our society. There are many reasons for this. A sport gives you good exercise. Many of the sports teach you how to work as a team. Sports help you to increase your motor skills. But more than this, it is about competition. There is something innate in us that likes to be competitive; to keep score; to keep statistics; to challenge ourselves against the skill of another. And because of this, we often enjoy the thrill of the chase and the competition more than the conquest.

Going back to Kierkegaard; he said: “If I were a doctor and were asked for my advice, I should reply: Create Silence.” In many sports, there is a half time. Half time is that time to evaluate how you are playing the game, and how you can do better in the second half. Half time can’t be a noisy place, because there is the need to think, and reflect, and plan, and become better prepared.

It is interesting that at Harvard Business School, there is a workshop called “Age of Options.” This workshop is designed to ensure participants “that their next career phase is fulfilling” and has purpose. This tells us that even in the business world, there is an understanding that we have a nature that at times feels the need for change. Because this is natural, we should be aware of how this can impact our lives and help us to do more with what God has given us.

To do this, we need to ask questions like: What is my passion? Where do I belong? What do I believe? What will I do with what I believe? What are my values? Now those of you who have gone through the Focused Living Process have begun to work through many of these questions. But here are some general categories that can help us with find the right answers to these questions. If you’d like to follow along better, these are written in the outline in your bulletin.

1. Make Peace- The first step is to “make peace” with our past. Making

peace is about learning how to get over the regrets of our past. We all have things that we have done in the past that we are not happy about; that we are not proud of. But we can’t dwell on the past. Since we can’t go back and undo past mistakes, the best thing we can do is to give the past to God, and know that God can use our past to help our present and future to be meaningful. We can also learn from our past so that we will do better in the future. When we can do this, we will be at a peaceful place, and we will be ready to move forward.

2. Take Time- The next step is to “take time.” As we have just talked about

mistakes, let me mention an important mistake that most of us make: not taking enough time on the things that are really important. Often times we make this mistake because we are not disciplined, and we don’t have good time management. One area where we need to “take time” is to get away from the crowd so we can regularly reflect on what is important in our lives. We can’t make time for the important things if we don’t know what the important things are.

3. Be Deliberate- Third, is to be deliberate. Being deliberate is about having

structure to your “away time.” It isn’t enough to get away from the crowd to think. If you don’t have an agenda of what you want to accomplish, you won’t accomplish much. To be deliberate also means that you ask yourself questions that direct you in the right way. Questions like: Am I missing anything in my life right now? What am I passionate about? What do I value? Where do I want to be in 10 years? What gifts has God given me? What is causing stress in my life?

4. Share the Journey- Next, we need to have someone in our lives who will

share the journey. This could be your spouse, a good friend, or even your pastor. In my mentoring sessions, after we get through the vision statement, I always ask this question: “Who are you going to tell this to, so that they can help keep you accountable?” If we don’t have someone in our lives that is walking with us in this process, the chances of moving forward as you want become less likely.

5. Be Honest- Next, we need to be honest. It is easy to allow ourselves to

fantasize. But if we are not realistic with our goals, then we won’t achieve what we are really passionate about. Now, I’m not saying you can’t daydream. But in regards to moving forward into the life God has for you, we have to seek what is real. So to move forward, you have to learn who the “real you” is. This is also where a trusted friend can be invaluable. They will help us to discover our genuine self.

6. Be Patient- Sixth, is to be patient. We have to have the context of time

that God has. We are told in 2 Peter 3:8- “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” We can’t change our lives overnight. We can’t change our bad habits immediately. Change takes time, and we must be patient with ourselves during this time of transition. It also will take time for the full picture of who God wants us to be to become clear.

7. Have Faith- Last, is to have faith. Our faith is important to us, and will

help us to have the strength we need to trust God as we move forward. Our faith also is what leads us to answer the important question, “What will I do about what I believe?” Letting our faith guide us will help us to listen better, and will help us to have a filter through which we can make the right decisions for our lives.

This idea of taking stock is what the psalmist was doing in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

II. What Do You Believe? (Proverbs 3:5-6)

a. Understanding God- This idea of our faith is vitally important,

and something I want to talk about more. Our faith is what gives us a quiet confidence, because when we know the God of the universe, and know that this God is there for us, then we can live with great surety that all will be well. So if we can seek God out, and trust God when we find Him, then God will lead us to the promise land.

We know God to be both simple and complex. He is complex in that He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and a personal Almighty God. If we think back to our series in September about the characteristics of God, we know God to be complex. But the problem comes when all we try to do is understand who God is. This will leave us wanting, and in the end won’t be all that helpful in living the life we are called to live.

At some point we have to move from wanting to understand God, to wanting “to know” God. This is an important transition. When our faith leads us to only understand God, we are not moved to do anything with what we believe. We can hold on to this mental knowledge, and be okay with what we know. But God is not a God of information, but a God of action. And God wants us to be active in our faith!

We have complicated one of the simplest truths of the Bible: believe on the Lord and you will be saved. According to God’s word, becoming a Christian is an act of acceptance and belief. Accept Jesus as the Son of God and believe that He alone can save you from sin. You don’t need to wrestle with belief, because it is settled. Unfortunately, too many people get stuck here.

b. Knowing God- Illustration: THE BUZZARD- I don’t know if you

know much about the buzzard, buy if you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 ft. by 8 ft. and is entirely open at the top, this bird that can fly will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner in this pen with no top!

Unfortunately, too many Christians are in this same sort of prison. They have a faith in Jesus, and they understand many things about God, but they have failed to look up and let Jesus lead them forward into the life they are called to live. They have put God into a box, and therefore cannot move from belief to action. Because God is in this box, they aren’t allowing God to determine what should be important in their life. And when you don’t let God lead you in this, it gets chosen for you. It could be your job, it could be the quest for money, it could be the desire to have material possessions. But something is important to you, and it is not God!

I hope you see why it is important to settle this issue. We let the busyness of our lives, and the chaos of the world misdirect us. But we have to say “stop,” so that we can look up to God. We have to say “stop,” so that we can hear God’s still, small voice speaking to us. We have to say “stop,” so that we can be playing the game we are supposed to be playing.

If you want your life to have meaning and significance, you must look to God. As we are told in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not paths on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your straight.”

III. Finding Your One Thing- (Ephesians 2:10)

a. City Slickers- We are reminded of this in the Billy Crystal movie

City Slickers. In this clip we see Jack Palance (who plays a wild cowboy), and Billy Crystal (who is from the city) riding together. Billy Crystal has paid for a two-week dude ranch vacation, but while on this vacation realizes that he is getting more than he bargained for. As they are riding together, Palance says something to Billy Crystal that seems pretty profound, especially for a cowboy. Let’s see the clip…

b. The core desire of the soul- What Jack Palance says is actually a

parable that uncovers a deep truth. But because we are so busy we tend to miss this important truth. There is indeed “one thing” in our lives that should be most important; one thing that brings perspective to our lives; one core desire of the soul. And the sad truth is that most people never discover their “one thing.” People desperately long to find it, but they’re not sure where to look.

Larry Crabb, the author of “Inside Out,” refers to this longing as a desire to fill a “hollow place located centrally within us…the core desire of the soul.” God has programmed us with this “one thing” into our lives like computer software. The apostle Paul talks about it like this in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This good work is that most essential part of you.

In the focused living training, we talk about finding this “one thing” by discovering your passion. God has made each one of us passionate about something. For some it is working with children. With others it is art or music. And still for others it is the desire to help others who can’t help themselves. We have this passion inside of us. We might even know what it is. But something keeps us from living it out. Maybe it is because we haven’t taken the time to discover it. Maybe it is because we don’t think we can make a living at it. Or maybe it is something that others around us won’t think is worthwhile.

I remember when I discovered that I wanted to be a minister. I had finished college with a music education degree. I had been accepted into the teacher credential program. I thought I was going to be a teacher. But then God led me to realize that I was to be a minister. I went to tell my parents of this change, and it did not go over well at first. My dad was concerned with whether I could make enough money to live. My mom was concerned that I wouldn’t be using the education I had. We will face challenges when we find our “one thing.”

Conclusion: What is your purpose? What makes you tick? What energizes you? What is your passion? It isn’t until we seek to move to the second half of our faith that we start answering these questions. Peter Drucker likens this to the difference between efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things. Unfortunately, like Jack Palance, I can’t tell you what your “one thing” is. You have to discover that for yourself. But I can tell you that if you take the time to take stock of your life, and begin to move your faith into action, and start living out your passions, then you will find where you need to be, and will have a significant and meaningful life. Amen.

"The Panic of Success"

Ecclesiastes 3:1-6

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Series: Success To Significance

Introduction: Life is seasonal. Just like the seasons of nature, the circumstances of life change. And because of this, we need to periodically shift our focus in order to achieve healthy growth. Before I was married, I spent much of my time doing what “I” wanted to do. Then once I was married, I shifted my focus to include Tami as well. And now that I have kids, my focus has again been shifted to make them the priority in my life. If I were to live my life like I did in the season when I was single, then I wouldn’t have a very healthy marriage or family.

But this is true in the area of my spiritual life as well. Prayer is important, but there are times when I need to be “more focused” in my prayer time. Likewise, there are times when I need to read and study the Bible more thoroughly. And even more, there are times when it is good to have an extended time of reflective meditation with the Lord. Each of these spiritual disciplines is important, but an extra dose can bring added focus and growth to my life at the appropriate time.

We cannot go through life doing the same things, and living the same way from year to year. As life and circumstances change, so must our focus. This shifting of our focus will help us to be successful in the way God’s desires of us. As we continue our series from the book “From Success to Significance,” we are going to learn some principles that help us to overcome the panic of trying to be successful.

I. How much is enough?

a. Success Panic- We live in a world that likes to dwell on being

successful. The problem with this is determining what kind of success you want. Many people will say that to be successful, you need to set goals. As you achieve your goals, you will be a success. In many people’s eyes, being successful means being married, having good, stable, healthy kids, having a couple of cars, a house, a good job, and good health. If you are lacking in this criteria, then you will not be seen as a success.

And yet, let’s say that you even do achieve all of this. The question still comes: How much is enough? And many in the world would answer: There never can be enough. And when we hear this answer, we get what is called “Success Panic.” Success panic is the feeling that you can never have enough, and you can never achieve all that you need. Success panic is not ever being able to be satisfied with what you have and what you have achieved. Success panic is not expected; it usually comes after you have reached a goal, and then you wonder: What is next?

Illustration- “Mount Everest.” There is a story in the Sierra Club book about two men who were determined to reach the peak of Mount Everest. In their quest to reach the peak, they spent several millions of dollars, and saw other fellow climbers lose their lives. But in time they finally reached the peak. There, at the top, they viewed the world from its highest point. They reflected on how they had overcome enormous obstacles and trials to reach their destination;, their ultimate goal. Yet, as they experienced this triumph, they didn’t feel the joy and elation they thought they might feel. The biggest reason for this, is that just a few moments after reaching the peak, they began to worry about how to get down the other side before the wind blew them off the top of the mountain.

This story reminds us that getting to the apex of our goal is more exciting and rewarding than actually arriving. This is where the “Success Panic” comes in, because you realize that reaching your goal hasn’t fulfilled you the way you thought it would, and you panic to wonder what is next in your life. At this point, you must decide whether you will: 1. Move the finish line forward, and continue doing what you are doing. 2. Look at new possibilities and new goals. 3. Wonder whether you have really been successful and question if it was worth all the effort.

b. Being called or being driven- Do you understand the difference of

being called and being driven? Being driven comes from self, being called comes from an outer force. They are polar extremes. Being driven comes from self-indulgence; being called comes from self-denial. Being driven comes from seeking to be the leader, being called comes from the willingness to follow. It is the difference between trying to make a name for yourself, or trying to do something of meaning. It is the difference between seeking worldly success, or seeking the satisfaction of knowing you are doing what God has created you to do and be.

Let me tell you 2 stories: STORY NUMBER ONE- Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for everything from boot-legged booze to prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason; he was very good! Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Capone out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie also got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life and gave little consideration to anything around him.
Eddie did have a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his had all that he needed, including a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.
One day, Easy Eddie decided to rectify the wrongs he had done by telling the truth about Capone, seeking to clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended. On Eddie’s dead body they found a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read: "The clock of life is wound but once…..And no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, At late or early hour… Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will.

Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.
STORY NUMBER TWO- The second story is about a World War II hero named Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.
His flight leader told him to return to the carrier, and so he reluctantly headed back. As he was returning he saw something that stopped him cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes attacking one surprised enemy plane after another. He fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was all spent. After this, he continued the assault by diving at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many planes as possible.
Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. He had destroyed five enemy aircraft. For that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.
A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER? Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

Easy Eddie was driven to make the money and live the life he did. Butch O’ Hare felt called to be the soldier and man he was. It wasn’t just the heroics that brought Butch honor, it was living the life he felt called to live.

II. Jesus as the Mainspring- (Matthew 6:24)

a. A Strategic Plan- In times of change, it is important to have a good

strategic plan. That is why I have been so pleased with the Focused Living Program. Many who have gone through it feel like they now have a vision for their lives that is from God; especially those who have followed up the program with allowing themselves to be mentored. They are discovering “the call” that God has given them. They don’t have to feel like they need to be “driven” to do something with their lives; they can simply follow where God is leading them.

This is true for our church as well. In many ways we are at a crossroads. While we are smaller in numbers than we have been in the past, we are not without direction and purpose. We have been given a call from God to reach out into our community and make a difference in people’s lives. We have designated “5 Ministry Initiatives” to direct us. A reminder of these 5 initiatives are: 1. To reach out into our community with our music program; 2. To reach out to the Hispanics in our community; 3. To reach out into our community with “How To” classes and help others gain new skills; 4. To reach out into our community by expanding our Manor program; and 5. To reach our community with an alternative contemporary service.

This helps us to realize our mission, which is stated on the back of your bulletin:

“The mission of this church is to bring people to know Jesus Christ, to help one another grow in faith, to be committed and responsible members and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to share God’s love beyond the church.”

When we seek to have a strategic plan for our lives, we are seeking to answer questions like: What should I do? How can I be most useful? Where should I invest my time, talents, and money? What are the values that give my life purpose? And, where am I going, and how do I get there?

b. What is most important- There is a story of a strategic planning

consultant named Mike, who was hired by Coca Cola to come up with a plan to introduce the “New Coke.” The executives told Mike that the driving force of the plan was to be on the “great taste.” They had conducted a number of taste tests, and found a formula that they believed tasted better than the original Coca Cola. But after introducing the “New Coke,” they somehow failed miserably in their marketing of it. So they called Mike back for another planning session. This second time of planning revealed to them that they were fighting against the idea of an “American Tradition.” Even though the “New Coke” might taste better, it was not perceived to be better because the original would always have a special place in people’s minds. They had to find the right words to use with the American public so that they would give the “New Coke” a try.

To discover this “mainspring” in our plan we have to ask ourselves another question; the question is this: “What is most important to me?” That is a fundamental question. We come up with answers like family, work, Jesus, health. But the problem is, that for most people, while Jesus is stated in this list, Jesus isn’t really most important. Only when Jesus is most important can we really fit all the other important aspects of life into the equation! That is why Jesus said, in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

With this in mind, it is important to understand that your plan will probably not change your life drastically. You will not be asked by God to leave your family and live in a monastery. You probably won’t even be asked to leave where you live and become a missionary. But it will require of you to begin to give over your life to God, and be more faithful with what you have been given.

III. Leaning on God- (Proverbs 3:5; Ecclesiastes 3:1-6)

a. Crisis- Much of life is somewhat comfortable. Well,

you might try to argue with me that your life is difficult, but is it really that difficult? As they say, there is always someone more unfortunate than yourself. Unless you are homeless, and without food, you are doing well. We have family, we have a church, we have the freedom to learn and worship. We are doing well.

But, the reality of life, is that there are crises that come about. Often times these crises come when we find out about someone who is close to us being sick, or dying. I remember a little over 3 years ago I got a phone call about my dad. My dad had just gone to see my sister in Arizona. My dad’s health wasn’t great, but he seemed to be doing pretty well. It turns out that the trip did a number on his heart. This wasn’t completely a surprise, since I knew my dad had congestive heart failure, but it is never easy to hear this kind of bad news. My dad wasn’t feeling well, he called 911, and when the ambulance got there, they had to re-start his heart, and then put him on a temporary ventilator. Once at the hospital, he was taken to the ICU and put on a ventilator there. I got the call from my brother telling me all of this. The next day I was at the hospital. My dad was alert, but couldn’t talk. He was like this for the next 3 weeks, as my brother and I traded off going out to Hemet to see him. They couldn’t seem to get him off the ventilator. Whenever they tried, his heart became erratic, so they would put him back on. Then one morning I got the call from my brother saying that my dad’s blood pressure was 45 over 20, and they didn’t think that he was going to live much longer. So my brother went up to the hospital, had my dad taken off the ventilator, and stayed the night until he passed away the next day, at 12:45 p.m.

b. Leaning on God- This is not something that you can reason away.

This is only something that you can trust your way out of. In many ways it is incomprehensible. There is no way to understand it apart from an eternal perspective. Albert Einstein once said: “What is incomprehensible is beyond the realm of science. It is in the realm of God.”

As a minister I have walked with many people in the death of their loved one. But this was different. This was more personal. This was my father. Only 70 years old, and now no more. At this time, it was my faith that kept me strong, and helped me to keep it in perspective. It is in times like these that we need to lean on God. As Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Here on earth we are pilgrims, not in control. We are stewards, not owners. We are soldiers, without any security.

There is a Quaker prayer, that is helpful as we seek to understand the need to trust God; it goes like this: “God, you have given my life into my hands. I give it back to you. My time, my property, my life itself is Yours. All of this is only an instant compared to my life with You in eternity.”…. This prayer gives us a little perspective. If Jesus is most important to us, then we understand that we are not in control of our own lives, much less the lives of those whom we love.

But along with this, is the passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-6, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ² a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,… ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up…”

Conclusion: George Bernard Shaw once said: “I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to the future generations.” We can be a splendid torch, burning brightly, if we so choose. We do this by letting Jesus be number one in our lives, leading us to live not out of driven-ness, but by following our calling. When we do this, we let the strategic plan of our lives be guided by Jesus, and we allow ourselves to trust in the Lord in all things. By doing this, we will have significance and meaning in our lives. Amen.

"A Gentle Whisper"

1 Kings 19:9-12

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Series: Success To Significance

Introduction: Today we are starting a series from a book that is an autobiography about a man named Bob Buford. But what is interesting about this book is not so much that it is about his life, but about the important aspects of life that he learned, and desires to pass on to others. The book is called “Half Time: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance.” This autobiography is a book that leads us to a better understanding of how we can, and need to, make decisions that are not selfish in nature, but that bring honor to God.

I have mentioned our Focused Living program many times. And it is interesting to see how I have come across the ideas of this program (about discovering our passion and using our passion to find the vision God has for our lives), in so many different ways. This book is another example of this. At a young age, Bob Buford thought through what his strengths were, and said to himself: “It is my duty and mission to put to work what I am good at, rather than to do what I would love to do.” This is the essence of what it means to live a focused life for God.

Before I get into the meat of the message, let me say one more thing. The subtitle of the book is “From Success to Significance.” But let me clarify this. Management Expert Peter Drucker says that, “Success does not necessarily mean a substantial fortune or even great worldly success. But it does mean something that those in earlier times simply did not know; achievement……”…..So, in this series we are going to talk about what we need to attain to have our lives been significant.

I. Multiplying- (Matthew 13:3-9)

a. Our Epitaph- None of us knows when we will die. But any one of

us, if we wish, can select the epitaph that we want put on our gravestone of how we want others to remember us. If you were to choose what your epitaph would say, what would you choose? Maybe you would want “A loving mother,” or “One who cared about others.” There are an unlimited amount of choices. The point is, you want it to say something that will tell about who you were while you lived on this earth.

Bob Buford says that the epitaph he wants is……100X. Now what does 100X mean? It means 100 times, and it is taken from the parable of the sower in Matthew, chapter 13. Just in case you aren’t familiar with this parable, let me read it for you.

Matthew 13:3-9, “Then Jesus told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear.” So the 100X is in reference to being “good soil” and multiplying his life a hundred fold. Bob Buford wants to be remembered as the seed that was planted in good soil and multiplied a hundred fold.

You might think it strange to think about your epitaph, but Saint Augustine said that asking yourself the question of your own legacy— (What do I wish to be remembered for?) —is the beginning of adulthood. In thinking about our epitaph we identify ourselves as someone with a purpose and a passion. Bob Buford wants to multiply all that God has given him, and, in the process, give it back. This is a unique vision for many in our world. The tendency for most people is to take what they have, and to use it for themselves.

b. Using what you have- Buford goes on to acknowledge that he has

had many fortunate opportunities. His is not a rag to riches story, or a self-made man story. He acknowledges that he has been given far more opportunities for growth, personal development, and financial reward than most Americans. But the point he wants to make, is not that he has more than others, but what will we do with what we have been given?

Buford says: “During the first half of your life, if you are like me, you probably did not have time to think about how you would spend the rest of your life…Then the reality comes: the clock is running. What once looked like an eternity ahead of you is now within reach….If the first half was a quest for success, the second half is a journey for significance.” Now I would add to this, that whatever age you are, you shouldn’t think about first half/second half, but rather, you should think of being significant with whatever you have available.

The reason it isn’t about first half and second half, is because when Jesus talks about planting a seed, it doesn’t have anything to do with age. The parable of the sower is about recognizing that we have been given many things from God, and receiving what we have been given, and then allowing that to become fruitful in our lives. To be significant in this way means that we don’t allow the worries of the world to make us depressed or anxious; it means that we don’t allow ourselves to be selfish, causing us to be shallow; it means that we don’t let the heartache of life cause us to be bitter and hard and choke off God from working in our lives.

So let us dare to believe that we can achieve great things with our lives, and that ultimately we can have a great impact on this world.

II. Destiny- (1 Kings 19:9-12)

a. Life as a baseball diamond- Vaclav Havel said, “The real test of a

man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.” The challenge in life is figuring out how to reconcile all the aspects of one’s life: work, family relationships, friends, and faith. You might know what you believe, but do you know how to incorporate what you believe into your life? What will you do with what you believe? God has a destiny for you, but this destiny requires that you utilize your faith in all aspects of your life. This is how Jesus could talk about how he came so that His followers might have abundant life.

Bob Buford gives us a list of some important questions: Am I listening for the still, small voice? Is my work still the center of my life and identity? Do I have an eternal perspective as a prism through which I view my life? What do I want to be remembered for? Is my life packed with significance?

So, if you think of life as a baseball diamond, First Base is the commitment to faith and believing what Jesus says is true; Second Base is the shift from being a ‘hearer of the word’ to being a ‘doer of the word’: it is growing in spiritual maturity that shows itself in a loving behavior; Third Base is the commitment to living out the Christian faith in Ministry. This is about doing concrete work, either in a church or a parachurch setting; Home base is the commitment to God’s mission in the world. It is being a Kingdom builder by finding the specifically designed mission that God has for us. George Gallup Jr. talks about how 84% of Americans declare themselves to be Christians. The problem is that most are stuck between first and second base not living out their Christian faith.

b. Listening to the gentle whisper- Many people get stuck in seeking

to develop their faith and learning more about the unique way the Bible approaches life. This is important and needed, but too often they get bogged down in this, and forget that there needs to be more. At some point, they need to realize that they need to “do” something with the faith they have.

In the book The Odyssey, the epic retelling of the life of Odysseus, there are two great forces pulling at Odysseus: work and home. On the one side he enjoys what he feels called to do (the battles he experiences on his journey home after the fall of Troy), but on the other side he yearns to return home. We too are pulled between the desire to be with those close to us (family and friends; and living the comfortable life), and the adventure that life has for us.

How are we to resolve this dilemma? By listening to the small still voice. Listen again to our Bible reading from 1 Kings 19:9-12, “There Elijah went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ¹⁰ He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." ¹¹ 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. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

Being significant with our lives means living beyond the immediate. It involves investing our gifts in service to others. It means continuing on, even when life is difficult and scary. To do this we have to listen to God to get the bigger picture: both of who we are, and what God wants us to do.

George Bernard Shaw once described it this way: “This is the true joy in life—the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die…” Until we get past thinking that our lives are just for us, we can never hope to hear God’s whispering to us the significant life God has for us to live.

III. Reverse Conversion- (Psalm 37:4)

a. Reverse Conversion- Some people know the exact moment of their

conversion; of that time when they accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Do you? I don’t remember the exact moment, but I do remember that it was in January, 1977. I had gotten one of these little personal Bibles in my locker. It has an assortment of verses about comfort, assurance, and salvation. At the end of the little booklet is a prayer to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I remember kneeling down by my bed, praying the prayer, and the signing my name to it!

But many of you might not have had this kind of an experience. Maybe you didn’t have an earth shattering conversion. Maybe yours was a gentle flow of growing up believing, and slowly and steadily growing in your faith and commitment. Bob Buford didn’t achieve a state of trust and blissful assurance on his own. He didn’t seek the Lord. He didn’t have an emotional turning point in his spiritual development. His father died when he was in the fifth grade. His mom was left a widow with 3 small boys.

Watching his mother take up the challenge and become a successful media business executive created in him an excitement and tension. This was a tug-of-war between living a life of success in business and leading a life of service in ministry. But for Bob Buford, there came a day in the ninth grade that he knew he wouldn’t be preaching or baptizing, but making money as a TV executive…which he did successfully for many years.

It took him many years until he recognized that there are other games to be played on many fields. It began to sink into his heart—and seep into the space where his decisions were being made—that he was doing great things in business, and little else. But then he got to a place where he thought about what he would do with what he believed; a “reverse conversion experience” if you will.

b. Searching and Self Help- Bob Buford was in the television

business from 1954 to 1986 expanding the family business from a single TV station in Tyler, Texas, to an array of cable television systems in several parts of the country. Buford Television, Inc., grew at a rate of 25 percent annually.

He got to the place where he believed that he could shape his life by his dreams and the desires of his heart (contrary to what Psalm 37:4 says: “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart”). But then a question kept tugging at his mind: “What might I lose with all this gaining?” And so he decided to set 6 goals for his life: 1) To grow the business 10% a year;

2) To have a vital marriage; 3) To serve God by serving others; 4) To build self-esteem in his son, Ross; 5) To grow culturally and intellectually; and 6) To figure out what to do with all the money he was making.

With these goals, he started to bring some balance to his life. The last 5 goals he felt defined what was important to him. They answered the question “What would I lose with all this gaining?” He wanted to make sure he understood the importance of his wife, son, faith, and service. He didn’t want the drive for money, power and achievement to overshadow what was really important.

He didn’t feel this list was an exhaustive list of goals, but a list that kept him searching for what was significant in life. He felt this list was enough to get him into the search to find the core commitments and passions that could help him make sense of who God had made him to be. He was realizing that there was a more important second half of his life; a second half of his faith.

Conclusion: Think for a moment about your life. Would you say you are a giving person? Would you say that your life is one that multiplies what God has given you? Do you let the worries and frustrations and hardships of life overwhelm you? We need to understand that God has a destiny for our lives. And when we don’t seek to multiply ourselves through our faithful efforts to God, we are giving in to these worries, frustrations, hardships, and selfish behavior. We need to understand that our lives are to be lived out for more than just ourselves; even more than our family, but for the Kingdom of God. We need to understand that God doesn’t force us to do anything, and He doesn’t even shout out His plan. God whispers it to us, and so we need to regularly stop and listen!

I encourage you to take some time this week to review the outline, and answer these questions. Also, take some time and seek God’s gentle whisper. Make sure that you are trying to not do it on your own, but that you are using all that God has given you to have a significant life, this day and always. Amen.