sermon for the week

Sermon notes
Where you going to be in 1 year? How would you like to grow in your faith? What goals do you have for the year to come? How will you judge you Christian walk between now and the?
What will need to happen to give you sense of satisfaction? What will need to happen to say “it’s been a good year?”
What we believe? Will it give a sense of satisfaction, will we deliver the goods, or are the goals we have misguided, or faulty in some way?
Our goals in life, spring from what we believe, if what you do no longer bears fruit, then you have to review your beliefs, if your behaviour is out of order, it is a result of what you have chosen to believe.
Walking by faith in the nitty gritty of daily life is a lot like golf, 10 – year old boy, 15 degrees off, but he doesn’t hit it far enough to end up in trouble, but as he grows he ends up in the rough all the time, accuracy is very important when he can drive 300 yards he ends up in the lake in every shot.
As a new Christian your accuracy will be off for a while, but it is not disastrous at that stage, but if you continue in that way, thinking that success is like a big house and a good job, rather than what God wants for you, if you carry on in your own way, slightly off centre, you may find yourself in a lake, crisis hits, when you discover that what you have believed isn’t quite true, the longer you walk in false beliefs the more pronounced your limp will become, and sometimes you can see it in the way people live.
To walk by faith means to live life on the basis of what you believe, we already walk by faith, even atheists do, the real question is whether you are putting your faith in the truth.
Feelings are God’s red flag of warning from the moment we are born, all of us try to work out what will make us happy, find fulfilment, achieve satisfaction, have fun, live in peace and so on. Whether we know it or nor, we continue to make and adjust plans to achieve these goals
Who knows best to how to make us fulfilled, happy and peaceful? God! Believe it or not, sometimes our best laid plans are not in harmony with God’s will for us. How can you know what is right or wrong? Well pretty obvious, if it is in line with God’s truth as revealed in the bible, God has shown us the way to go, but he has also blessed us with feeling, when an experience or relationship leaves us angry, depressed, anxious, this should ring bells within ourselves. When we feel depressed (not clinical) angry, anxious, it should prompt us to go back to God’s word and discover why we feel this way.
Teenager rock concert, not sure if allowed (anxious), told no angry, when she realises that she will not go, no matter the bargaining and pleading she tries she is depressed because her goal is impossible. You get angry when you don’t get what you want! How mad do you get when you are stuck in traffic and you know you are going to be late for that vital meeting? How mad do you get when you go to the checkout and you find you are in the shortest lane, but it takes the longest?
When you have a goal that is dependent upon others then your goal is misguided, your goal could be to have a loving harmonious Christian family, but anyone in that family will could and probably block that goal, a minister could have the goal of reaching the community for Christ, but it is dependent on others, anyone could block that goal, if your goal is dependent upon others then it will be blocked no doubt, which will lead to anger, depression anxiety, you can’t control others, all you can do is control yourself.
Anger highlights blocked goals, anxiety signals an uncertain goal, even when you find success you are still anxious, this probably means you don’t find peace even though you have achieved all you thought you needed, depression signals an impossible goal, hopelessness and helplessness come when the thing you desire most is never going to happen.
It is of course right to want your loved ones to come to Christ, for the community to be reached for Christ, and we are to pray and work to that end, but when your sense of worth is based upon someone else you set yourself up for problems, why? Because their responses are beyond your ability or right to control. Be a witness of Christ, share faith in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God, we can’t save anyone, if you are feeling low or desperate or helpless, it may be because you have not got your goals in line with what God has in mind. The thing to remember is this, with God all things are possible, he is the God of all hope, turn to him no matter how you feel and put your trust in him.
Wrong responses when our goals are frustrated. If our goals can be blocked what is our reaction to those people or things that threaten our plans? We can try to manipulate or control or we can bring our goals in line with God’s goals. Minister youth ministry, parent, perfect Christian family. People who try to control and manipulate are easily understood they want happiness, but when frustrated they get bitter, angry, resentful or they develop a martyr’s complex thinking they live in defeat for a reason, they struggle through thinking God has given this burden to live with, rather than seeking what God really wants in their life.
Turning bad goals into good goals ask yourself this question; if God wants it done can it be done? Or if God has a goal for your life, can it be blocked, unfulfilled or impossible? Course not!
Or to put it another way would God ever say to you, “I’ve called you into being, I have made you my child, I have a job for you to do, but I know you won’t be able to do it, but give it your best shot!” crazy, it is like saying to your child, “mow the lawn, but the mower has no petrol, the lawn is full of stones and the mower doesn’t work anyway, try your best though!”
No God given goal can ever be impossible, uncertain or blocked, God would not do that to you.
Look at Mary, young girl, virgin; having a kid, what is her response? Nothing is impossible for God, God doesn’t give you goals you can’t achieve, his goals are possible, certain and achievable, we need to understand what his goal for our life is and then say with Mary “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said”
The point is, no God-given goal can be dependent on people or circumstances that we have no right or ability to control.
Difference between goal and a desire semantics, but there is a difference between a god given goal and a godly desire, it is a difference that change failure to success and pain to peace.
A godly goal is this, that which reflects God’s purpose for your life and doesn’t depend on circumstances or people beyond your control, only you can block a godly goal.
A godly desire is a result that depends on the help of others, the success of events or favourable circumstances beyond your control
There is a crucial difference, you can’t base your sense of worth on your desires, because you cannot guarantee success, we all know that life doesn’t always go our way. When a desire is not met, we face only disappointment, not anger, anxiety or depression, dealing with disappointment is a lot easier, that that comes from getting your goals from God.
For the parent who wants her children to come to Christ, how about being the mother God wants her to be, for the minister whose success and sense of worth is based upon winning the community for Christ, or having the best youth group in the area, worthwhile desires, but as a goal he is doomed to failure, a good goal? To be the minister God has called him to be, no one can block that goal except himself!
The goal is to become the person God called you to be God wants us to become like Jesus “it is God’s will that we should be sanctified” 1 Thess 4:3, sanctification means becoming like Jesus, that is God’s Goal for our lives, nothing can keep you from becoming the person God wants you to be, but there are loads of distractions, disappointments, trials, temptations traumas that can disrupt this process, everyday you will struggle against the flesh, the devil the world which are opposed to you becoming like more like Jesus.
Nobody and nothing can stop you getting there present circumstances blocking the way? but Paul tells that difficulties actually are a stepping stone to become more like Jesus. Rom 5v 3-5 we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
James offers similar advice Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
Perseverance results in proven character, which is God’s goal for us, who we are, rather than what we do
Difficulties help us towards God’s goal when people are in dire straits never offer false hope, if a husband leaves a wife, if a prodigal son never returns, we can encourage them to grow nearer to God, to leave situations out of our control to him, and to become more like Jesus, difficulties can show if our goals are off kilter, it can be the catalyst for sanctification, to be more like Jesus
Defeated spouses say “my marriage is hopeless” so they change partners, others feel their job or their church is just as hopeless so they change them too, in most cases they should hang in there and grow up. There are legitimate times to change jobs or churches, but if we are just running from our immaturity, it will follow us wherever we go
Christian car salesman, anger, be the one God called him to be, is there an easier way to become more like Jesus without difficulties and trials? We as believers have probably looked everywhere for one, but it is usually the times of testing that have brought about maturity that makes life meaningful. We need the joy of mountain top experiences, but the fertile soil for growth is always on the valley floor, not the mountain summit.
When our goal is love 1 tim 1:5 “The goal of our instruction is love” love (agape) is the character of God, because God is love. If you make godly character your goal, then the fruit of the Spirit that will be produced in your life will be love, joy (instead of depression0, peace (instead of anxiety) and patience (instead of anger).
So how would you answer the question I asked at the beginning, one year on how will you judge how your Christian walk has been? What will make you say it has been a good year? What will give you satisfaction? Are your goals in line with God’s goals? Have the fruit of the Spirit been seen in your life? So where are you heading in life? It is never too late to let God change you, I hope you can respond by becoming the person God wants you to be and no one and nothing can stop you!
Interestingly when you follow what God wants you may find your family coming to Jesus, you may find the community turning to Christ, you may discover the youth of Dalkeith finding Jesus, why? Because when you co-operate with God, you can expect your life to bear good fruit.
In finishing here is a story that illustrates how often we misunderstand God’s goals in our livesA man was sleeping one night in his cabin, when suddenly his room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night, the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved." Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."And that is what he planned to do, until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord", he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?" The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are calloused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. Now I, my friend, will move the rock." But, your calling was to be obedient and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done.