“No Regrets”

SERMON 6: "NO-REGRETS" (Wrap up)
Part 6 of Series: One Month to Live

Scripture: Acts 20:24

Introduction:

The whole point of this series was not so much to prepare you to die
as it was to prepare you to live!

We've discovered four principles that enable us to live the life God created us to live:

• live passionately
  
• love completely
  
• learn humbly
  
• leave boldly
  

Someone once said, "Your life is a gift from God. What you do with it is your gift to God."

Now what?

If I were limited to one thing I want everyone to take from this series it would be
to ignite and restore passion to your life.

If you only had one month to live, you would want to enjoy every single moment
as the precious gift it is.

And you would want to make every second count toward
something meaningful and eternal,
something that fulfills your purpose on this earth.

God's got this wonderful plan for our lives to fill our lives with passion
so we can live life the way it was meant to be lived…

He wants us to come to the end of our life with no regrets hanging around about things we should have done or should have said…
NO shoulda, coulda, woulda!

It really is a simple concept: live passionately, love completely, learn humbly, and leave boldly…If you do these things, you will live a "No Regrets Life."

(From Rodney Wales)

THE STATION
by Robert J. Hastings

Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves on a long journey that spans an entire continent. We're traveling by train and, from the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at crossings, of cattle grazing in distant pastures, of smoke pouring from power plants, of row upon row upon row of cotton and corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our conscious minds is our final destination--for at a certain hour and on a given day, our train will finally pull into the Station with bells ringing, flags waving, and bands playing. And once that day comes, so many wonderful dreams will come true. So restlessly, we pace the aisles and count the miles, peering ahead, waiting, waiting, waiting for the Station.

"Yes, when we reach the Station – that will be it!" we promise ourselves. "When we're eighteen...win that promotion...put the last kid through college...buy that 450SL Mercedes-Benz...have a nest egg for retirement!"

From that day on, we will all live happily ever after.

Sooner or later, however, we must realize there is no Station in this life, no one earthly place to arrive at once and for all. The journey is the joy. The Station is an illusion—it constantly outdistances us. Yesterday's a memory, tomorrow's a dream. Yesterday belongs to a history, tomorrow belongs to God. Yesterday's a fading sunset, tomorrow's a faint sunrise. Only today is there light enough to love and live.

So, gently close the door on yesterday and throw the key away. It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad, but rather regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.

"Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more mountains, kiss more babies, count more stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot more often. Eat more ice cream. Ride more merry-go-rounds. Watch more sunsets. Life must be lived as we go along. The Station will come soon enough.

Amen!

Just Do It!

"Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.'" (John 20:21 NIV)

The Easter season is once again surrounding us with the glory of Jesus' resurrection and reminders of who we are as "Easter People." John presents a tremendous challenge in his gospel when he tells us that Jesus sends his disciples "as the Father has sent." We are sent by Jesus in the same way that God sent the Savior into the world…to be faithful witnesses in the face of rejection by the world. Wow! – That's not easy for us to embrace, is it?

Throughout our "One Month to Live" challenge during Lent we have talked about what we might do if we knew we only had a month left to live. Our model for this discussion has been Jesus Christ who knew how his life on earth would end and demonstrated for us how we should live. Jesus showed us that living the life we are called to live involves living with passion, enthusiasm, and excitement for life and for God's people. It means being willing to do whatever it takes to get people in front of the Risen Christ. It means not wasting our time on things that simply do not matter in the face of eternity. Jesus showed us that he loves us so completely that he willingly gave up his life for us. We must also love others so completely that we are able to get past our misunderstandings, overlook mistakes, and give up the idea that "me first" matters. Jesus taught us that we must learn from our failures, take responsibility for our actions, and surrender to God's strength. He also told us to let go of our guilt and move past it to a closer relationship with God. Finally, Jesus challenged us to ground our convictions in God's Word and allow God to shape our character into his image – imago Dei – the image of God. Only then will we be able to leave a Godly legacy behind when we exit this life. The whole point of this study has been to empower us to lead a life with no regrets; to lead a life that we can be proud of, not because of anything we have done, but because it is lived for God. Maybe that is the true challenge we face.

In the early church followers of Jesus were often persecuted and even put to death for their faith. People today may not kill us for witnessing about Christ, but they may let us know that they really don't want to hear the truth. They may try to silence us. In fact, I'm sure you can recognize many contemporary examples of how this is happening right now in America and around the world; some people do not want to hear the truth and they want to stop us from telling it. We must not be silent. We must continue to live a life that honors God, not our culture. Though many people will turn against you and your message, some people will hear the truth and follow Christ because of you.

This Lenten journey has given us a deeper understanding of God's call on our lives. We are challenged to live every single day as if it were our last; to always be ready to meet God face to face. It is easier for us to be this ready when we realize what Jesus is saying in this Scripture passage from John…"Peace be with you!" Before Jesus sends us out into the cold, cruel reality of the world he gives us his peace. Peace to comfort and strengthen us; peace to encourage and heal us. Then he reminds us that we are being sent in the same way that he was sent. In other words, Jesus knows exactly what we will face because he has already been there. There is no obstacle, no rejection, and no pain that Jesus hasn't already experienced. Because of this Jesus is uniquely qualified to offer his peace to get us through whatever comes our way. This is an Easter message worth sharing with everyone you meet. Even if you are rejected or ignored, you are still called to tell the truth. Remember these words from Helen Keller: "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

You may not be able to change the whole world but you are called by God to do that "something" that only you can do. So, in the words of a famous sporting goods manufacturer: "Just Do It!"

God bless,
Pastor Don