“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

God’s Oasis

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1, NIV)

Have you ever been so thirsty that your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth and you felt like you might choke from the lack of moisture? Think of a hot August afternoon when the temperature peaks past 100 degrees and there doesn't seem to be a glass big enough to hold the water you need to drink. Has your skin ever felt so dry that you think it might just crack or it itches and no amount of scratching brings relief? Think of a cold winter day when the furnace dries the air, your skin is stretched tight and the bottle of Nivea cream just went empty. This is what it feels like to face complete spiritual dryness that parches the soul.

David's words echo to us from the barren desert where he is hiding from his enemies and longing for the presence of God to comfort him. He speaks of a deep spiritual thirst and a physical aching for God to nourish and sooth him. David's longing is not unlike our own. I believe we all have a deep hunger and thirst for God in our lives. I also believe that we often fail to acknowledge this longing and mask it behind the busy-ness of life. We don't want to admit when we really need God; we are too accustomed to being self-reliant. If we surrender to God we might appear weak or we might have to turn away from something we really enjoy. What we forget is this from Proverbs 3:6, "In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success." In other words, if we surrender our selves to God our spiritual hunger and thirst will be satisfied.

The season of Lent reminds us that we live in the desert of a culture where the presence of God is needed to comfort, teach, and guide. There is a spiritual hunger and thirst for healing and wholeness. It seems that we cannot watch the news or read the newspaper without encountering "a dry and weary land where there is no water." Spiritual dryness surrounds diplomatic relations around the globe, political maneuvering in Washington, and even the witness of the church. The two great commandments to love God and love others have been overshadowed by self-serving desires to make the biggest impact and have the last word. It doesn't seem to matter if we do the "right thing" as long as we give in to the loudest voice or make the biggest profit. God's will has little bearing on our decision-making anymore and the needs of the least among us are simply ignored. This is spiritual dryness that chokes us as people of God.

Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38, NIV) This living water is God's gift to us to satisfy the kind of thirst and longing David had. This living water is available to everyone, free of charge, to sooth and to heal the dry, cracked land that wants to keep us away from God. Our challenge is to be sure that we fill ourselves with the living water and satisfy our own thirsty souls. Then we have everything we need to go out and share this nourishment with others. As the Body of Christ we are obligated to care for the health of the Body. We are called to nourish the body of believers and provide a witness to others who seek to be satisfied. We cannot simply be content to bask in the luxury of the love God shows to us; we must carry the living water out into those dry places…to that "dry and weary land where there is no water."

Lent is the perfect time for us to journey out of the desert and into the oasis of God's Living Water. If we do, we will be prepared to greet the Risen Christ and carry resurrection healing to a dry and weary land.

God bless,
Pastor Don

Winters of our life

This past week we've been reminded that winter can be a harsh force of nature. Rain becomes freezing rain that becomes ice that is followed by snow. The freezing fog adds to the beauty of the landscape and wonderful pictures show us how amazing this wintry landscape can be. It is beautiful and I often wonder how all this beauty can be so destructive.

As we have seen, the weight of nature's beauty can splinter ancient trees, cause roofs to collapse, and snap power poles like toothpicks. The slippery surfaces can bring the most sure-footed of us to suffer mild concussions and broken limbs. The best drivers collide with the not so experienced. Businesses suffer when people can't get out to shop. School children complain that they will have to attend classes beyond Memorial Day...OMG!

All this beauty and yet all this suffering. Why would God allow this to happen? I thought God loved us...Why does he allow power lines to snap and keep us in the dark? I thought God would care for us...Why do we not have heat and stoves to cook on? Why? Because it's winter and that's what happens in the winter: we sometimes experience bad weather and we sometimes lose access to the conveniences that God allowed us to invent in the first place. God does not "allow" these things to "happen" to us. God created a perfect universe where everything cycles, the seasons change, and sometimes we get ice and snow. That's just how the world works. I imagine that we will soon be saying things like: "All that snow sure was good for the wheat crop!"

Instead of asking why and bemoaning the winter of our life, I think we should recognize all the wonder of God's Creation and the good things that God has enabled in the midst of the storm.

Many of our friends and neighbors needed help and we were able to reach out to offer assistance. We huddled together for warmth and shared our kitchens for nourishment. We enjoyed great fellowship while the TV and computer lacked power to distract us. We shared stories about the last such winter storm that stopped everything cold, or the time we built a snowman, or the snow ice cream recipe Grandma used when we were little. Isn't it interesting how much we can learn about our friends and neighbors when we take the time to talk to them without the television, the iPod, or the Wii in the way?!

God may actually have had a plan this winter to bring his people together in the midst of a storm. It wouldn't be the first time that God has gathered his people together in the middle of some hardship. Maybe God thought we needed a break from all the electronics. Maybe God thought we could learn to be better friends and neighbors if we actually had to depend on one another for a few days. Maybe God simply wanted the seasons to change. It's winter! Why ask "why?" Enjoy the beauty, be thankful for the moisture, remember what you learned, and try to stay warm and safe. It's winter, it is not the end of the world and God has not abandoned us. On the contrary, God has enabled us to be God's people in the midst of every season of our lives.

Amen!

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1, NRSV)

Isaiah spoke to the Israelites as they returned from exile to find their beloved Jerusalem in ruins. The message was one of light, hope, and abundance. Isaiah called the people to remain faithful to God and reminded them that, "the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you."

As we move into 2010, we also need to hear a word of hope. The season of Christmas brought us once again to the angels' declaration of, "peace on earth and good will to all humanity." In spite of this, we live in a world torn apart by war while we cry out for peace. While our personal circumstances may be comfortable, we are surrounded by men, women, and children who are hungry, homeless, and without hope. Though many of us celebrated the season of light this Christmas, there are many others sitting in the darkness of grief, sorrow, and great loss.

Many years ago I found myself in a very dark place covered in sadness and hopelessness. I had given up on God's plan and descended into a place where God could not find me. Family and friends could not reach me in this place, but they kept praying and loving me until God's light found its way into my darkness and hope returned to lead me home. I believe this is what Isaiah is doing…he is affirming God's promise to a people lost in darkness. He says to them, and to us, "Don't give up hope. Just because you can't see the light doesn't mean it's not there. Keep praying, trusting, and reaching toward the light of God's love."

In a recent Sunday school class discussion, we talked about how we have only a limited view of what God sees completely. The meaning of events in our lives cannot be completely understood until God's work is completed. What we may view as injustice, disaster, or tragedy should remind us that people of faith trust that the Lord's work is not yet complete. We wait for its fulfillment. In other words, we may bring lemons to the party, but God will eventually make lemonade. No matter what, there is always hope for a future filled with the bright Light of God.

I realize that this view of the world may offer small comfort when we are in the midst of our own grief; in fact, this may offer little immediate relief for our sadness or anesthetic for our pain. But, our Christian view of God who is still present – Emmanuel, God with us – and still in control can bring us to gradual acceptance of the fact that we cannot see the whole picture. It can help us to release our hopelessness into the hands of our God of hope.

Frank Johnson writes, "God does not cause hurt or will the suffering of innocent persons. But, when these events occur they must be understood within the larger framework of our lives. God can turn sorrow into joy, defeat into victory, and death into life. Faith in God involves patience, trust, and confidence that God will prevail."

Today I pray that we will begin the year filled with hope, confident in God's abundance, and looking to His Light. We cannot see what the future holds, nor should we try to speculate; what we can rely on is a God who knows exactly how things will work out for us. One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11 – "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." This is a certainty – "surely" – God has a plan for the welfare of each one of his children; a future of hope, not harm. Wow! Every time I call on that passage I am overwhelmed with wonder at the awesomeness of the God who loves me that much. With the certainty of that promise, I have no worries about what the future holds. This is the way I choose to greet January 2010 – with the sure and certain hope that God's plans are perfect. It doesn't matter that we don't see everything that God sees; we trust that God's vision is better than ours. "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Isaiah was right to offer this message of hope. It is a message for a Happy New Year for Christians everywhere!

God bless,
Pastor Don

What is piety?

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission." (Hebrews 5:7, NIV)

What does piety mean for us?

If you have visited many different churches you have probably been exposed to a wide variety of worship styles and traditions. Within the United Methodist Church you can find worship services that span the spectrum from very traditional "high church" to very contemporary "charismatic" worship. You can find people who raise their hands and shout "Amen!" standing next to folks who would rather remain quiet during worship and keep their hands in their pockets. There are churches with pipe organs and there are churches with rock bands. The contemporary worshipers often criticize the traditionalists for being "too pious" and the traditionalists may criticize the contemporary worshipers of "false piety." People outside the church simply criticize all church as being "afflicted" with piety. Elton Trueblood writes about the church this way: "The real trouble is that its piety is not deep enough!" I think what has happened is that the word "piety" has come to mean something bad, something distasteful – something derogatory. The dictionary defines piety as: religious devotion and reverence to God. In other words, piety is simply a term of respect. That doesn't sound like a bad thing to me at all. Maybe the problem is that we have too little piety in our lives.

Think about it: we say a few hasty prayers, we sing a nice hymn or two, and we read snippets from the Bible. Does this really amount to reverence for God? Is this adequate evidence of our respect for our Creator and Savior? To develop and maintain a close personal relationship with God requires more effort than that. We need a massive dose of piety if we are to be healers of the world in Jesus' name. The seat of our disease, says Helmut Thielicke, "is not in the branches of our nerves at all but rather in our roots which are stunted and starved." Thielicke reminds us that Martin Luther prayed four hours every day, "not despite his busy life but because only so could he accomplish his gigantic labors." To work without praying is like a tree reaching out its branches higher and higher with no adequate root system to keep it from toppling over. Piety, respect and reverence for God, leads us to spend time in prayer and study so our roots are developed in strength and power to support us through the times of our life.

February 17^th is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. This six week period offers us a wonderful opportunity to prepare for the events of Holy Week – the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no better time than the Season of Lent to renew our piety…to renew our reverence and respect for God. This is the perfect time to get in the habit of spending more time in daily prayer and Bible study. It's your chance to re-commit your life to Christ and to get back in the habit of weekly worship attendance. It might be the time for you to join a Sunday school class or start attending our Monday evening Bible study group. Maybe this is your chance to join the choir. Lent might be when you will shout "Amen!" in the middle of a sermon for the first time in your life. However this season affects your practice of piety – showing respect to God – your life will be transformed. Transformation, after all, is what our relationship with Jesus Christ is supposed to be about isn't it?!

I pray that you will give this some serious thought. The six weeks of Lent are an opportunity for all of us to develop a deeply pious relationship with Jesus; to strengthen and deepen the roots of our faith; to stand up and give in to the transformation that God promises us through Jesus Christ. This is our chance to respond to what God is calling us to do as a church and to be as Christian disciples. Piety – reverent submission to God – gives us the courage we need to allow God to truly lead our lives, all our lives. Jesus offered prayers with loud cries and tears. The Psalms tell us to pray morning, noon, and night. Daniel knelt in prayer three times a day. Paul tells us to pray continually. Church history has countless examples of the call to prayer in the early morning and late evening. We are called to talk to God as we begin each day, as we go to work, and as we end the day. There is no wrong time for prayer. It seems to me that prayer is the perfect means of showing reverent respect for God and of cultivating the deep roots of our relationship. That is true piety. It's not a bad thing at all. It means many things and is manifest in different ways for different people. Piety is the deserved respect we show to the God who loves us so much that He would die for our salvation. How will you let piety be manifest in your life today?

God bless,
Pastor Don

Happy New Year with Hope

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1, NRSV)

Isaiah spoke to the Israelites as they returned from exile to find their beloved Jerusalem in ruins. The message was one of light, hope, and abundance. Isaiah called the people to remain faithful to God and reminded them that, "the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you."

As we move into 2010, we also need to hear a word of hope. The season of Christmas brought us once again to the angels' declaration of, "peace on earth and good will to all humanity." In spite of this, we live in a world torn apart by war while we cry out for peace. While our personal circumstances may be comfortable, we are surrounded by men, women, and children who are hungry, homeless, and without hope. Though many of us celebrated the season of light this Christmas, there are many others sitting in the darkness of grief, sorrow, and great loss.

Many years ago I found myself in a very dark place covered in sadness and hopelessness. I had given up on God's plan and descended into a place where God could not find me. Family and friends could not reach me in this place, but they kept praying and loving me until God's light found its way into my darkness and hope returned to lead me home. I believe this is what Isaiah is doing…he is affirming God's promise to a people lost in darkness. He says to them, and to us, "Don't give up hope. Just because you can't see the light doesn't mean it's not there. Keep praying, trusting, and reaching toward the light of God's love."

In a recent Sunday school class discussion, we talked about how we have only a limited view of what God sees completely. The meaning of events in our lives cannot be completely understood until God's work is completed. What we may view as injustice, disaster, or tragedy should remind us that people of faith trust that the Lord's work is not yet complete. We wait for its fulfillment. In other words, we may bring lemons to the party, but God will eventually make lemonade. No matter what, there is always hope for a future filled with the bright Light of God.

I realize that this view of the world may offer small comfort when we are in the midst of our own grief; in fact, this may offer little immediate relief for our sadness or anesthetic for our pain. But, our Christian view of God who is still present – Emmanuel, God with us – and still in control can bring us to gradual acceptance of the fact that we cannot see the whole picture. It can help us to release our hopelessness into the hands of our God of hope.

Frank Johnson writes, "God does not cause hurt or will the suffering of innocent persons. But, when these events occur they must be understood within the larger framework of our lives. God can turn sorrow into joy, defeat into victory, and death into life. Faith in God involves patience, trust, and confidence that God will prevail."

Today I pray that we will begin the year filled with hope, confident in God's abundance, and looking to His Light. We cannot see what the future holds, nor should we try to speculate; what we can rely on is a God who knows exactly how things will work out for us. One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11 – "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope." This is a certainty – "surely" – God has a plan for the welfare of each one of his children; a future of hope, not harm. Wow! Every time I call on that passage I am overwhelmed with wonder at the awesomeness of the God who loves me that much. With the certainty of that promise, I have no worries about what the future holds. This is the way I choose to greet January 2010 – with the sure and certain hope that God's plans are perfect. It doesn't matter that we don't see everything that God sees; we trust that God's vision is better than ours. "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Isaiah was right to offer this message of hope. It is a message for a Happy New Year for Christians everywhere!

God bless,
Pastor Don