Resolutions Worth Keeping: Know Jesus

January 27, 2008

We’ve been talking about resolutions now into this fourth week. We started with the definition of a resolution: to be fixed on a purpose, to decide to do or not do something. We need to be people of resolve, or more directly in our context- to be fixed on certain purposes which we know God blesses because they are found in the bible, to make the firm decision to do or not do certain things because we know that these decisions will ultimately help us in our walk with God, in our relationship with other people, in our own skin!

We've come a long way to get to this point- resolving to start with an earnest search for God with the promise that God is not in hiding, but in fact, wants to be found and active in our lives. We resolved to stay pure because this is the gift of God, the gift of purity, forgiveness, freedom that none of us can achieve on our own, and that all of us need. And on our part we strive to stay pure because we know this is the best way to live with ourselves, with others, with the world around us. Last week we looked at the resolution to speak well, to let nothing impure come from our mouths, because, as we discovered, what comes out from our lives in a reflection of what’s happening in our lives, in our hearts. This is the litmus test to know the condition of our heart- If we find hurtful words coming our mouths, well we’re probably pretty hurting people inside. If we have angry words, bitter words, jaded words; we have some anger, some bitterness, some issues happening inside. If we have hopeless words, we are hopeless people. And ultimately the resolution isn’t just to manipulate what comes out, but to invite Jesus change us within. The resolution is to quit trying to just work the outside, like the Pharisees did in Jesus’ day, and to invite Jesus to come into our lives, and change us from the inside out.

But there is one aspect of resolutions that we haven’t addressed. And interestingly, you might find, it’s the most obvious one. Missing the forest for the trees so to speak. At the heart of this word, of this whole concept of “resolution” is the search for a solution. To rediscover the solution to a problem. Going back again to some of the top ten resolutions that people make in North America- folks realize that being distant from family, smoking, drinking too much, over eating, and others things are problems. If you don’t get any exercise, that’s a problem. A resolution is simply a search for the solution to the problem. And simply put, today we are going straight to the Solution. That is, the capital “S” solution. The big solution to all the big problems. We are going straight to the answer to basically all the questions, and the dilemmas, all the issues we face in this world, in our lives.

Today I hope we can discover the resolution to know Jesus. The bible, and our experience, seems tells us that our separation from God is the source of our problems. On our own we are disconnected from God, and thus disconnected from our creator, our purpose, our reason for living. But there is a solution- we can know God through knowing Jesus.

1 Cor. 1:18-25, 2:1-5
18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."^[c]

20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^[a] 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

The man who penned this letter, Paul, is the man who wrote most of the books of the letters in the New Testament- because he planted most of the churches we read about in the NT. He came to Corinth on his second missionary journey. He Spent 18 months planting a church there- he taught, nurtured and empowered the people. Then he moved on to Ephesus and into Syria. From the very personal nature of the letter, it is obvious that Paul had regular updates on the church in Corinth. He wrote this letter to address the many questions that came, and settle some disputes and arguments that cropped up, and to prepare for a return visit. But before he got too deep into anything else, he decided to go right back to the beginning, right back to the foundation, right down to the solution for all their problems and disputes.

Which is really what we should always do. This past December my wife’s van wasn’t starting- so I took it in. They check the battery, it started fine. But it still gave me trouble. I took it into a different shop, I didn’t tell them to replace the battery, but to find out why it won’t start reliably. They told me it’s the battery, so they replaced it, and charged an extra hundred bucks for all their inconclusive tests. We go to Toronto for a wedding. The next morning my starter catches on fire and I have to actually pull the connector on the battery so the whole thing doesn’t burst into flames. I then have the privileged delight of riding with the tow truck all the way back to London. I actually thought this, well, I’m stuck with this guy for two hours, this guy is going to accept Jesus as his Lord before we get to London. And you know what happened- yep, I fell asleep about 15 minutes into the trip. Anyways, I have the car fixed at another station, and they put in a new starter and battery. I call the other garage to complain, and also complain because they haven’t called me back about fixing the broken handle on my van door. We schedule an appointment and I come by with the van. The say it shouldn’t take more than an hour, so an hour later they come back and tell me the handle isn’t in, and that my battery is fine. I tell them of course the battery is fine it’s brand stinking new! I’m there to return their burnt out battery and have the handle replaced. They attempted to make things right by giving me a new battery and picking up and delivering the van later the next week. The point of this is simple, if anyone wants to buy a brand new battery I have one I’ll sell you for $100.

No, the point is, I asked them to go to the source of the problem- my car isn’t starting consistently. Fix that problem. They misdiagnosed the problem- a bad battery, and that almost ended up with my van in flames in a parking lot in Toronto. It’s worth it to take the time to get to the heart of the problem, and to find the real solution, before you do anything else. The real solution, Paul tells the people in Corinth, goes back to the very basic, very simple message I first came and preached to you. In fact, it wasn’t even so much my preaching or teaching, but something about me. I came to you and resolved to simply know Christ and him crucified- because that friends, is the solution to all the problems.

Now to the original audience this resolution to know Jesus had deep implications. To know in this context wasn’t simply knowledge of or about something or someone. I know of Steven Harper, but I don’t know him, and he doesn’t even know of me. He probably doesn’t even care to know of me as I can’t vote. But I know my friends, I know my family, I know my wife. I know intimately and personally and experientially and relationally my wife. Our knowledge of and about each other runs deep. We know and are known by one another.

And this is exactly the kind of intimacy that Paul wants to convey here. I resolved to know, to know intimately, nothing but the crucified Christ while I was with you. And now let's be perfectly honest- all this talk of knowing Jesus sounds a little crazy. Sure, we can know of Jesus, but how can we really talk about knowing him- personally, experientially, relationally? But that is exactly what the solution is- not just knowing of Jesus, but coming to actually know him through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

You know what the only thing crazier than believing in Jesus as the Son of God and savior of the world to today is? Believing that he was the Son of God and savior or the world 2000 years ago. I mean now, today, we have a track record that stretches far and wide and deep. And yeah, we have a few blemishes, but we now have thousands of years, and millions of churches, and billions of people who call themselves Christ-followers. We have hospitals and schools and laws and civilizations. There is reason to believe, reason to consider the faith, if for no other reason the shear volume and impact of Jesus on the world as we know it.

Considering and believing in Christ today is nothing compared to confessing him as the Son of God and savior of the world 2000 years ago. Because 2000 years ago Jesus looked like nothing but another name, soon to be forgotten, in a long list of false Messiahs and crucified criminals. Paul writes that the message of the cross is a stumbling block to Jews, because the sign of the savior the people were looking for was a political revolutionary, not a religious and relational revolutionary. They wanted their Messiah to come in on a war horse, ready to take over and take control, to vanquish their enemies and set up a kingdom here on earth based on military might and power. And Jesus simply didn’t fit that bill- He shook up the religious status quo and as we talked about last week, took the focus off of an external religion and put it on an internal transformation, a relationship with God. Then he got himself hung on a cross to die.

And that’s why the message of Jesus was foolishness to the Greeks, the Greco-Roman culture. Anyone who got nailed to a cross was stigmatized. In fact, it was the ultimately sign of weakness, of powerlessness, of defeat. That Jesus was crucified was proof positive that he was a nobody, weak and powerless. In fact, so foolish was crucifixion that anything good or insightful or of value that he may have accomplished in life would have instantly been negated. It would be sort of like saying you know, aside from so-and-so embezzling millions of dollars, he was really a great investor! You just don’t say that and people don’t believe that. That was what crucifixion said about those killed- it wasn’t like folks were going to say, you know, Jesus was a good teacher, a good leader, a morally virtuous and stand-up guy, but he got himself crucified. No- he got himself crucified. That said it all. He was dead, he was worthless, useless, worse, he was a criminal, a threat to society, to the world, to decent and upstanding people like you and me.

So take this man, Jesus, after he has been crucified, a stumbling block to his own people, complete and utter foolishness to the rest of the world- and that is who Paul resolved to know and preach.

Imagine being Paul. He starts off his career persecuting Christians- having them thrown in jail or killed. He was the pioneer of making sure that Christianity, following Jesus Christ, would be a criminal offense against the state. Not just a stumbling block, not just foolish, not just a bunch of deranged and deceived disciples still holding onto their dead Messiah- it was a crime! And the very guy lobbying for this has this life-changing encounter with Jesus- after Jesus has been crucified! The bible tells the story where Paul is on his way to throw some Christians in jail and Jesus speaks to him. “Why are you persecuting me?” “Well who are you?” “Jesus.” “Jesus?” “Yes, Jesus, and you are persecuting my followers and it’s just like you are persecuting me!” Paul’s life is changed forever. The very thing he opposed, he now embraces. The person he hated, he now loves. The Jesus he thought was a crook, he now calls king. The Jesus he thought was crazy, he now believes is the Son of God. The Jesus he thought dead, he now knows as his risen and living Lord!

So Paul, who was so passionate, dare we say obsessed with destroying this fledgling young church, now becomes even more passionate about serving it, building it, sharing Christ with the world! He goes off preaching the story of Jesus, proclaiming him as the savior of the world, the Lord of all life, the true and only God. He goes to the neighboring lands of ancient world- to cities throughout Asia, Galatia, and Cappadocia. And you now what happened- he had a great time. He got himself beaten, stoned, shipwrecked and thrown in jail. He went without food and shelter. He was robbed, he was persecuted, and he was run out of towns.

But you know what else- he got churches started. It was almost this absurd-

“Hello people of (Looks at card) London, Ontario. My name is Paul, you don’t know me. I don’t know you. I don’t come from your land or your people. But I’m here to tell you about a man named Jesus that many of us believe is the Son of God and savior of the world. Now Jesus is not here with us today because he got himself killed- crucified actually. Yes, his own people rejected him and the Roman stated had him killed. But don’t worry, he rose from the dead, and went back to heaven. So now, I invite you to turn from basically everything you were taught to believe. Change your entire worldview and understanding of life. Call on Jesus as your Lord, believe in your hearts that God the Father raised him from the dead, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in your life!

And… the people… believed! The people actually believed. And people kept believing, and kept believing and kept believing. The believed in the message of Jesus and then took to sharing the message themselves. Many times whole families, even whole villages, came to believe in Jesus. Sometimes they didn’t all believe. Sometimes people rejected family and friends who came to believe upon Jesus. But more and more people heard the message, believed the message, and experienced the power and presence of God in their lives.

Paul said I didn’t come with the eloquence, because there were better speakers than him, men trained and schooled in public speaking and argument. He didn’t come with wisdom, because there were better philosophers than him who could explain and make better sense of the world. If anything he said, he came to them in weakness and fear and trembling. And he meant it. He didn’t know if he’d be rejected, or beaten, or thrown in jail, or even killed. He came with one simple message. All he decided to do, all he resolved to do, was to know and make known the crucified Jesus Christ. And by the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, it was enough. Knowing Jesus is always enough. Knowing Jesus is the solution.

We are all about great hospitality- we want you to come here and feel more welcomed than you’ve ever felt anywhere in you life! We want you to know we are not just glad you’re here, we are thrilled you’re here, we have been praying for you to join us, and we want to help and serve you and be a part of your life. But great hospitality and coffee won’t build this church, and it won’t change your life.

We are all about having great singing and creative worship. The band practices, and they rock, we throw in dramas, video clips, and even our own silly little interviews and the like. We think worship is central to who we are as a church, central to who we are as people- we were made to worship something or someone. But great music and creative worship will not build this church and save your life.

We are all about solid biblical teaching. Grounded in God’s word, grounded in application to our world and our lives. But if it just about the teaching, either of the bible, or of simply self-help, you have better options friends. There are many men older and wiser than me that can teach the bible. There are many folks better at helping others than me- just watch Dr. Phil, he’s the man! No, wise words and eloquent speak will not build this church or give you a hope for your future and all eternity.

Only one thing can, only one person can. And that’s Jesus Christ. Today I simply invite you to rediscover the solution. To make the resolution to know Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Not the Jesus who is argued about in headlines even today. Not that Jesus studied in various schools of thought. Not the Jesus of the orthodox or the catholic or the protestant. Resolve to know the Jesus who can come into your life today. The Jesus who invites you into his life today. Because he really is the solution. For the lost he is the way home. For the confused he is the truth. For the dying he is life. For the hungry he is bread, for the thirsty he is the spring of living water, for those in darkness he is the light, for those in chains he is freedom, for those naked he is the clothes of righteousness, for those dirty he is cleansing waters. He is hope for the hopeless, faith for the faithless, love for the unlovable. He is the one who died on a cross so that we would have abundant life on earth, and eternal life in heaven.

What’s gonna build this church? Not coffee, not singing, not teaching. It’s Jesus working through us, changing us, making us and molding us. It’s the Holy Spirit demonstrating his power in our lives. It’s you telling the story of what God has done in your life. It’s you, knowing Jesus.

Resolutions Worth Keeping: Speak Well

Connections Community Church
January 20, 2008

Each of the four resolutions we are looking at this month changes lives. All were precipitated by an external event. All were a reflection of an internal change, a transformation. First we talked about the starting resolution- seek God. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” We talked about some very practical ways to seek God as a church and as individuals-
1. Starting our week in worship.
2. Carrying that through to a smaller community of seekers.
3. Carrying that into our daily lives, to make the time to pray, read the bible, and open our lives.
4. A commitment to service, putting our faith into action.
5. Finally, the mystical one, we seek God in the unexpected-expecting to be surprised to find God going ahead of us, working in the world, in peoples lives, in some amazing ways!

Last week we got into the next step- Stay Pure. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” God is holy and pure, and we have to have the right kind of eyes, the eyes of faith, to see him. So we first accept the gift of purity that comes from God’s freedom, then we resolve to stay pure in all areas of life. It like two sides of one coin of purity- one side is the gift we accept- the other is the resolve to live into that gift.

This morning we continue on our journey through Resolutions. I mentioned earlier that statistically, 1/4 of all people break their resolutions within one week, and by the end of January, more than half of all resolutions will be forgotten. Within 3 months most are but a memory.

But our failure to keep resolutions, I’ve been arguing all along, doesn’t change the fact that nearly everyone makes and needs new resolutions. There is nearly a universal recognition that our lives are not perfect, that there are things we can improve, that there are goals we’d like to reach. In fact, we generally have some words for folks that think they have arrived at perfection, that think they have it all figured out, that think it’s their job to change everybody else, that they are God’s gift to the world- preachers. No really, we’d call that person delusional or narcissistic. These are folks that are so out of touch with their life that they can’t see room for growth and goals, or they are so in love with themselves that they think there’s no need to change and grow.

But for the rest of us, all of us who need resolve to grow and reach goals in life- for our families, our work, our hobbies, our golf game, whatever- are there any practical ways to beat the odds of failure? According to Richard Koestner, the odds aren’t in our favor (depressing, I know). Koestner is a researcher at McGill University who specializes in goal-setting and self-regulation, told CTV that people almost can't help but fail to keep their resolutions because of three things:

1- They aren’t specific. Too many people set ambiguous or conflicting goals, making it difficult to keep focused. I want to be a better husband. Great- in what areas, in what ways are you going to be a better husband? We’ve tried to be very specific about our goals and growth areas here at Connections.

2- They fail to monitor progress. They don't pay attention their behavior in relation to their aim. And goal pursuit without close monitoring is likely to go awry. Monitoring our progress is going to encourage us or convict us, but either way it will call us to task. Especially when a goal or resolution is large, we needs to break it down to several steps or movements, then monitor ourselves. Again, because we make our resolutions for Connections specific, we hope to be able to clearly gauge our progress.

3- They don't have enough self-control. Self-control is a limited resource that can be quickly depleted, especially when we have the same conditions in our lives- basic stimuli and response. Of course I am a model of self-restraint and control.

But even if you manage to get your ducks in a row, Koestner says, you probably still won't stick to your guns unless the resolution is chosen without outside influences. And then he goes so far to say that over the course of time simply using self-controlling tools will have a negative effect on us because it will mess with our sense of autonomy. In other words, he states that resolutions only work when they come from the inside. A resolution is only truly a resolution, a new purpose on which we fix our lives, when they reflect something that has fundamentally changed in someone’s life. Resolutions cannot come from the outside, but must happen within. This is the part I find fascinating, what we find in a biblical model of resolve, and exactly what we are getting into today.

If we don’t truly believe something, inside, down in our heart, in our gut, however you want to express it, if you don’t internalize it, it will never stick. An outward resolution, a change in behavior or a goal to reach, is only going to stick when it reflects an internal transformation. We can’t be strong armed into real change. We can’t be bullied into new belief. We can’t be coerced or cajoled or mocked or manipulated into making a change and have any hope that it will really stick, or really change us from the inside out.

You know this. When someone or something from the outside tries to change us- we take our fighting stance. Rather than move us any closer to the change, the belief, it actually has the reverse effect- it pushes us away! Even if that change is clearly for the better, we tend to resist. Have you ever found yourself fighting against something you actually believe? You resist simply on the principle that you will not be forced into it. I’ve done that. Someone’s pushing me so hard that simply out of principle I dig in my heels and say no.

When Robin and I were dating we got to that place where it was becoming awkward to not say, “I love you.” We were running out of words to adequately express our growing relationship- I like you, I feel a great affinity towards you, I really resonate with your moral compass…But neither of us wanted to be the first to make the giant relational leap of love. I could tell she was pushing to say it, so I’d be like leaning in toward her, and then I start to slowly part my lips and in a real breathy voice say something like, “Robin, I really…love your window treatments, they are just fabulous!” So when Robin had enough of this she had the gall to actually send me a tape (we dated in the era of the mix tape) with one song on it- “It’s time to admit you love me” by Harry Connick Jr. She was pushing me to make this huge outward expression of an internal change. She left me no choice but to ask her to marry me.

But, back to the point, can this internal change, this moment of transformation and resolution be precipitated by an external event? Absolutely. And it most often is. A near death experience can be the wake up call that transforms something inside of us. The birth of a child, a wedding, a divorce, a death of a loved one can be the outside event that starts an internal change. A comment someone makes, and that may be a negative comment that condemns, or a positive comment that inspires, can create an internal shift. A book we read, a conversation we have, a sermon we hear, can cause that internal shift that leads to a life change.

Who hear remembers Karen Carpenter? Karen Carpenter was an angel. She had a beautiful voice, was super hot, and drummed like Ben. In “The Karen Carpenter Story,” a movie that really brought to the public’s attention a growing epidemic of eating disorders, the power of words was revealed. Karen recalled an off-handed remark by a reporter, identifying her as, “Richard’s chubby little sister.” This happened in her early 20’s that began her downward spiral into anorexia. Just before her 33 birthday Karen died of heart failure.

While that reporter made an external remark, Karen had something change internally, in her heart that day. In real way we can even say she started to die of heart failure the moment she heard that comment. It wasn’t just an off-handed remark, it became her identifying mark. She resolved to be thin, no matter what the cost, and it ultimately cost her life. And if you’ve known someone with an eating disorder, and you do, or if you’ve struggled with an eating disorder, you know that something has changed inside. The eating disorder has almost nothing to do with external things once it has truly taken root. It all about stuff going on inside that person.

Such is the power of words- they can be life, and they can be death. Such is the power of an internal transformation. In Psalm 17:1-3 David said,

“I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.”

David, speaks of a resolution that is a reflection of an internal change. He invites God to probe his heart, look within and examine him at night. David is a king. He is surrounded by pomp and circumstance all day long. So at night, when it’s just he and God, he invited God to look within and to test him.

How can he make such an audacious claim? How can he really invite God to look within and find nothing impure? How can he make the claim that nothing sinful, impure, nothing wrong will come out of his mouth? Because David had experienced an internal change. And internal shift, a transformation. He knew that because God was in his life, he was free, he was cleansed, he was purified. David went on to do great things for God. He also went on to do some horrible things, things that all of us would universally say made him a very impure person. But he knew that inside he was cleansed and purified by God. And his resolution then, was to make the outside, to the best of his efforts, match the inside.

This whole resolution then, of speaking well, of not sinning with our mouths as David says, is an outward expression of an internal change. With enough practice, enough self control, we could train ourselves to only say nice, kind, pleasant stuff. But what David was talking about, and what we are looking for, in an internal transformation that will then change everything on the outside. A change in heart that is then reflected in a change in the way we talk, walk, think, believe, be and do.

Jesus talked about this internal shift. He talked about an internal change. In Matthew 15 Jesus gets confronted by the religious folk, the Pharisees. They come up to Jesus and try to get to him through his followers. “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat.”

Which I have to say, is a really good question. That’s kind of gross, to not wash your hands before you eat. But these guys are not thinking about dirt and germs. They are thinking simply of ritual. A complex ritual where the religious types put on a big show of washing up before a meal.

And if you were here last week you remember that this symbolism was absolutely vital for a man named Daniel and his friends. They symbolically kept themselves pure and committed to God by not taking any food from the King of Babylon’s table. So important was this symbolic act that all the Israelites took note. So important was this story, that now, 600 years later these religious types have developed this highly complex system of how to wash up, how to prepare food, how to serve food, how to eat food. And now they are completely consumed by these laws, byu this ritual, by this religion that they invented.

And finally, Jesus says you have missed the whole point. You got so wrapped up in the outward expression, the symbolism, that you’ve forgotten the heart of the matter. Jesus has the audacity, the gall, the chutzpah, to say in verse 10-11, “Listen and understand. What goes into a person’s mouth does not make them unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.” The people are actually still confused. So what is it Jesus, can we have our camel and eat it too? (They weren’t supposed to eat camels in the kosher laws) Should we wash our hands or come to the table all germy and gross? Jesus, is it what goes into a person that matters, or what comes out?

Jesus says are you still so dull? And he goes on to say this scathing list of behaviors and thoughts, actions and words. The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make you unclean. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lies and slander. These are the things that make you unclean.

The folks got so wrapped up in the ritual and religion that they forgot about the internal change. They got so wrapped up in the appearance of living differently, that they forgot about being a different kind of people. They were consumed with these laws and rituals and out acts and expressions of religion, that they were actually missing the whole entire point which was a change from the inside out.

Does wearing a ring make me faithful to my wife? No, but it is a powerful symbolism, a powerful reminder, and outward expression of the inner commitment I have made. Does wearing a cross make one a Christian? No more than wearing Sidney Crosby’s jersey would make me a great hockey player. But that jersey can say something about who I am and what I want to be. Just as that cross can be a powerful symbolism, a reminder of our commitment to God, of a belief that God came to us in Christ and died on a cross for our sins.

There are two kinds of people who call themselves Christians. One kind that is a lot like the Pharisees. Let’s call those people Pharisees. They focus on the external things. They want to reduce the Christian life and faith down a list of do’s and don’ts. Prescribed rituals that can easily be managed and maintained. They do this, they don’t do that, eat this, avoid that. They effectively get religion. This group actually tends to rise in the ranks of faith because they appear to have everything put together. They have this outward appearance of being right with God. They are very good at making and keeping resolutions when it comes to those self-controlling behaviors. They can make the effort, and pull it off most of the time. Nobody ever thinks they are like the Pharisees, a hypocrite as Jesus calls them. But all of us run the risk of reducing our faith to this type of religious practice. It’s very tempting; in fact, it’s one of the biggest temptations- to create a rigid and precise structure to our life of faith- so we can be in control. Any and every good discipline and practice, over time, runs the risk of become empty ritual.

The other group of Christians are those that look a lot more like Christ. Let’s call those people Christ-followers. Yeah, I’m getting real original with the names here. These folks deeply desire to live a good and holy life. They know that the outward stuff matters, but they also know that that outward stuff first comes from inside. Like Jesus, they have trouble going along with the religious establishment. They have this gnawing sense that there has to be something more to the life of faith. They are not content to simply change the outward appearance of behavior. They are not good at making resolutions and then simply trying to self-will and self-control their outward behavior.

They don’t want to just live differently; they want to be a different kind of person. They don’t just want to do loving acts; they want to be loving people. They don’t want to do compassionate things; they want to be compassionate people. They don’t want to just sing songs in church; they want to worship God. They don’t want to just say prayers; they want to hear from God. They have no interest in going through the motions of religion; they crave a relationship with the living God.

The route to real life change, to real transformation, happens not when we manage to keep up appearances, but when we are willing and strong enough to face our inner lives. Life change happens not through denial, but through the often painful process of inner examination. Life change happens when we are tired of just doing the things we know we should do, and when we want to be the kind of people God wants us to be. What comes out of our mouths, Jesus says, is simply the litmus test of what’s happening in our heart. Outward stuff, of course it matters- but it matters most in that it indicates what going on inside.

The bible says a lot about this. The bible speaks about the life of following Christ not as religion, but as a re-birth. There is such a fundamental change in a person when they give themselves to Jesus, such an all encompassing transformation, that the only way it can fully be described is that it’s as if a person is being re-born. A person is fundamentally transformed from the inside out. You can deal with the outside stuff all you want, and that will only lead to a life of lies and frustration. Or deal with the inside stuff, and let it simply flow out to all areas of you life.

So the research tells us that a resolution only works if it is a reflection of an inside change. Our own life experience tells us that we resist if folks are just trying to outwardly motivate or manipulate our lives. And Jesus tells us the outward matters, matters immensely, it’s what makes us unclean in fact, but that it simply reflects what happening inside. And if our inside is unclean and messed up, our outside will always be messed up (or we’ll just be really good at being hypocrites). And that’s what Jesus offers us- radical transformation from the inside out.

Next week we look at our final resolution worth keeping- Serve Christ. We’ll be looking at the life of Jesus and how he offers us this internal change. After that we are going to get into our next series- “How to Look Good Naked- you can complain to my wife if you’re offended- she came up the series title. For the whole month of February we are coming back to this message- what does the life of inner transformation look like? What does it look like when we stand stripped down, naked and exposed, looking truly to the inside? What does it look like to be totally transparent- with ourselves- taking an honest look inside. With God- confessing our sin before him. With other people- taking off the mask and getting real. With the world- living as a community in the world, but not of the world. It’s going to be challenging. But it’s going to be awesome. I hope you’ll be blessed and the friends we bring will be blessed as well.

Resolutions Worth Keeping: Stay Pure

Connections Community Church
January 13, 2008

Last Sunday (it feels so good to say last Sunday instead of last time we meet) we started our new year, new launch, new church series on “Resolutions Worth Keeping.” This isn’t about New Years resolutions per say. Resolutions may happen at a dawn of a new year, at a time of transition in your life, at a time of trial in your life. This is about being people, and a church, with resolve.

Last week we began to unpack a biblical concept of resolutions. To have resolve is “to be fixed on a purpose, it is the decision to do or not do certain things.” We need resolutions in our lives and in our church. Unless of course we think we’re perfect, if there’s nothing we want to change about ourselves, if we have no goals, no hopes no dreams.

But if we are going to grow as men and women, husbands and wives, mothers and father, students, professionals, athletes, musicians, artists, whatever- if we want to reach goals for our work, for our families, for our spiritual lives, for our personal lives, we need resolve. We need to be fixed on these purposes. We need to make decision to do and not do certain things to reach our goals.

If we are not on a path of growth, we are on a path of plateau, or worse, death. If you are on a path of plateau or death, then this really isn’t going to be a very meaningful sermon, meaningful series, or a meaningful church for you. Because we are not dying, we are just being born. We are truly still in the pains of child birth. When I look at what I pray Connections will be, we've hardly taken our first step. We have every possible area to grow in. All we have are goals that we want to reach. All we have is resolve. All we have is the will to do something, to be something, to be fixed on the purposes of connecting with God, with people, with our world.

Last week the starting resolution for our church and the life of the Christ-follower was to seek God. This is where we begin as a church for this is one of the major themes of the bible. I encouraged everyone to put to memory a verse last week. This is something I will do regularly. To try and give you a scripture to memorize that captures the whole sermon. Last week it was Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” I hope you set that in your hearts, pray it often, hear God speaking that promise to you in the morning, as you drive, when you sit down for a cup of coffee.

Today we move to the next resolution worth every one of us keeping- STAY PURE. What we are going to discover is that this follows naturally on the heels of the first. In order for us to seek God with all of our heart, we must have a pure heart- a heart undivided. A heart purely set on the things of God. And what we’ll discover is, I pray, two things. First is the purity that can come only a gift from God- the purity of forgiveness and salvation. Then second, the strength that comes from God to pursue purity in all areas of our lives. To receive the gift of purity, then to pursue purity.

This resolution comes to us out of the life a man named Daniel. And if you are a university student here today, I am especially excited for you. This passage is going to rock your world and could change your entire outlook on education and life. (Read Daniel 1:1-8)

In 605 BC, and this isn’t just some biblical yarn without verification- there is corroborating historical evidence outside of the Bible of these kings and these dates- in 605 BC king Nebuchanezzar of Babylon sacked Jerusalem and the land of Judah, deposed of king Jehoiakim, and carried off all the items of worth and spoils of war- including Daniel and his friends. The king ordered that the young men who showed the most promise- the strong, the bright, the good looking, the learned and quick learners, the young men of royalty and noble families, the men like Nathan and Mike, and I’m sure every other guy here, were to be taken to the palace. This is like the bachelorette before there was reality TV. Nebuchanezzar knew exactly what he was doing and whom he wanted.

At the palace he orders Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, his right hand man, to get all these boys together. His job was to teach them the language and the literature of Babylon. These boys were to be fed from King’s own table, given room and board and access to the best education the world had to offer. They were to be trained for three years, and then enter the service of the King.

Wow, we might think, these kids have got it made! But we must understand the significance of what the King is doing. This isn’t some benign act of kindness. He isn’t having second thoughts after sacking another nation and carrying off all its greatest treasures, especially the treasure that is the best and brightest of the coming generation. This isn’t to console his soul after wiping out a nation. This is racial cleansing, assimilation, indoctrination, hey, call it for what it is- brainwashing.

Put yourself in these boys’ shoes. Your nation, your home, your way of life has been destroyed. Your family has probably been killed. You watched as everything was leveled. Even the holy places- especially the holy places, the places that held the symbolic core identity of the entire nation. Everything of worth is carried off. You are spared. You are marched nearly 1000 kilometers to a foreign nation. You have no idea what is to become of you. You are afraid to die, you are afraid to live. You don’t know who you are anymore, they have even changed your name. Instead of having the names of your family, you now have names that reflect the gods of Babylon- Bel, Aku and Nebo. Nebuchanezzar takes these young men and offers them access to an education, job security and a bright future. Brighter, in many ways, than they ever could have dreamed of in Judah.

Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome? When a hostage or captive, because they are so broken down, afraid for their lives, in shock, they begin to actually think of their captors as their liberators. King Nebuchanezzar intends to make his captives believe he is really their savior.

But Daniel sees right through the scheme. He is bright, he is gifted, he is strong, because he knows what’s going on. He sees what the Babylonians are trying to do to him and his friends- learn a new language, forget the ways of the past; learn new literature, for get about the word of God; take on a new name, forget who you are; eat from the kings own table, cast aside everything you knew about your former identity and way of life. And it says that Daniel resolved not to defile himself with anything from the king’s table. He resolved to keep himself pure by not accepting the food and drink from the King’s table.

Taking food from the king’s table was less about eating, and more about association. It was a symbolic gesture. It’s no insignificant matter that the Israelite laws regarding food, what we call being kosher, were the most stringent in the ancient world. Daniel would have grown up faithfully following these practices. And now he’s asked to disregard them completely. The food from Nebuchanezzer’s table was food that was first offered to the gods of Babylon. Nebuchanezzar was inviting the boys to renounce their God, the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, and worship their gods- Marduk, Bel, Aku, Nebo and others, gods who glorified in war and death. He was inviting Daniel the his friends to a new nation, a new way of life and a new religion- and all they had to do was take and eat from his table, and the table of his gods.

Morpheus invites Neo to take the red pill and go home, or the blue pill and venture down the tunnel, into the Matrix. The drug dealer invites the naive orphaned kid to just take one hit. The in-crowd pressures the outcast to just have one drink. The serpent tempts Eve to take just one bite. People have known, for century after century, in culture after culture, in movie after movie that we have seen, the symbolic gesture of taking the offering of food and drink and whole new way of life.

It was an equally symbolic gesture that Daniel said no. I will not defile myself, I will remain pure. It was a symbolic gesture with profound impact on Daniel and the entire kingdom. Daniel and his friends strike a bargain with Ashpenaz and eat only vegetables and drink water for ten days, and ten days later they look better than anyone else- they got stronger, smarter and better looking. They grew in knowledge and understanding. They received visions from God and could interpret dreams. And by the end of the three years they were head of their class. No one was their equal, and they were promoted to the highest positions in the kingdom next to King Nebuchanezzar.

They were the best, the brightest, the most influential. They got the chance to serve God and change the world, even while they were in exile. They seized this opportunity, but they did on their terms, and on God’s terms- they never ate and drank to the gods of Babylon. They never bowed down and worshiped the king or his idols. They never forgot who they were, and whose they were. They never cowed to the materialist, pantheistic culture around them. They took a stand. They made a resolution. And it was a huge risk, a giant risk- a risk that could have easily cost them their lives. But in the end God honored and rewarded their faithfulness.

Folks, here is the million dollar question- do you think the world around us is more like Jerusalem or Babylon? Do you think we’re at home here, or in exile? Now I’m speaking in the big picture here. This isn’t about if you’re from London Ontario, or moved here from somewhere else. I’m talking about our place in the world, your place on earth. Do you sometimes get the feeling that this place, this world, is not really your home? That you were made for something else? That you were made for a different world? A world where maybe, just maybe, you truly felt at home, because in that world, you always felt close to God. In that world you would always be at peace with your neighbors and other people. In that world you would be at peace with the world itself, not afraid or unable to know how to live sustainably. In that world there would be no more pain, or sickness, or death or tears. In that world you were at peace with yourself.

CS Lewis once said,

"If I find in myself certain desires that nothing in this world seems to satisfy, the only logical conclusion is that I was made for a different world.”

Speaking for myself, I feel like I was made for a different world, a better world, a world of perfect peace and justice and beauty.

The bible uses Jerusalem and Babylon as a metaphor for life here and now. Jerusalem was a image of what the world was supposed to be like- a place where everyone knew and worshiped God, where there was shalom, this peace that characterized all relationships- our relationship with God, with other people, with the creation itself, with ourselves. Jerusalem symbolized life the way it was meant to be lived- a life at home and in connection with God.

Babylon, on the other hand, represents the world as we know and experience it. It represents being outside of home, outside of life the way it was meant to be lived, life outside of a relationship with God, and peace with all people and peace with ourselves. Sin came into our world and our lives. Separation, sickness, evil and death. We became as exiles in the very creation God made for us.

We were made for Jerusalem, but find ourselves in Babylon. And what Daniel and his friends came to understand was this- though life might not be playing out the way we would have liked, though life may not be the way God first created it to be, though life may not be the way it will always be, this is life. And they got on with life. They resolved to get on with life, but to do so in a way that they might remain pure. They were going to live, but they were not going to eat from the kings table.

And that friends is exactly what we are called to do as well. We live our lives in this world that is not our home, not perfect, not the way it’s supposed to be, but we get on with our lives living as purely as we can. Resolve that like Daniel, you will see through the lies and tricks of the world, and you will not be taken in, but will keep yourself pure. Resolve that you will see that so much of the world does not have your best interests at heart- but rather want to use you, abuse you, work you and break you, and cast you aside when you no longer the young and bright and best looking. Resolve that you will take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way- for learning, for education, for advancement. But never, never ever compromise your purity, your virtues, your values, your morals, your God.

Maybe this one is simple for you- maybe it is right from the text- you know, you eat too much and you need to focus on the vegetables. So put down that second big mac, just say no to french fries poutine, get the regular cup of coffee instead to ultra-high fat frappachino with a cup of sugar. Or maybe you need to say no to the wine and drink a little more water. Statistically, more than just a few of you here struggle with alcoholism or drug abuse.

Maybe it is obvious in what areas you need to seek purity- you have to resolve to quit smoking because it really is killing you. You have to resolve to break free from pornography, because it really is killing your ability to relate to women or men in any way that is even remotely healthy, and it’s destroying your studies, your career, you marriage. You must resolve to break free from your ipod- because even too much of good music can be a bad thing. You have to resolve simply to stop watching so much TV, because there’s more to life. You need to resolve not to defile yourself in an inappropriate relationship. So you need to break free, or put on the brakes for a season, or get some counseling, or something.

Now I’m not just preaching, I’m meddling. But if it feels like I’m meddling it is because we can all relate to impurity, and because just maybe God is trying to tell you something. All of us here have a habit, or a hang up, or an indiscretion, something that we’ve done or something that's been done to us that makes us feel dirty, ashamed, unclean, and impure. And we try to stop, but we fail. We try to get past it, but the memory keeps rearing its ugly head. We try to stay pure and seek God, but a voice says you’ll never be clean again. I find that most people are very aware of their own impurities. I probably don’t need to point out the impurities, we just need to get to that place were we can actually face them.

Jesus tells us,

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

And today, at the end of it all, I want to tell you that you can find purity in God, and you can see God. First, accept the gift of purity that comes only from God, only from Jesus Christ. Freely accept the gift freely offered- to be set right with God, forgiven, cleansed, purified before the holy and pure God. That’s what God offers to us in Jesus Christ- to know that we are pure and forgiven and given eternal life. This is where God shines friends. This is where God is really good- he’s the expert in forgiving, in cleansing, in making impure things pure again. You can find purity in the forgiveness of God. It’s a gift- ask for it, receive it, believe it, live it.

Then second, in the assurance of the purity given to us, we pursue purity in our lives. We seek to stay pure. We resolve to live pure lives because that is the best way to live. We live pure lives because that is the best way to get right with our neighbors and have peace. We live pure lives because that is the best way to care for creation and make a difference in the world. We live pure lives because that is the best thing we can do for ourselves- for our health, for our well being, our emotional wholeness, our sexual wholeness, our spiritual wholeness, our physical wholeness. We live pure lives because we know, we know deep down in our guts, that this is pleasing to God, and the best thing we can do for ourselves, and for our neighbors and for our world.

And when we do, when we start to set our lives right, we start to set the world right. Folks, since purity does matter to God, God is going to help you stay pure. If you want it, if you resolve to pursue it, and if you know God is in it, He’s going to be there. God wants us to live pure lives, He wants us to have pure marriages, He wants us to be a pure people, and if you’re willing to work on it, God’s going to help.

Friends, there are two tables for you to eat from, the table of Babylon, or Jerusalem. The table of the kingdoms of this world, or the table of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, brought his followers to a table. And there he offered those young men food and drink. He offered them a broken loaf of bread, and new wine. But he told them straightaway that this meal, the table, had a symbolic meaning, deeper than anything they had ever experienced before. This bread way his body, broken for them. This wine was his blood, shed for them. He invited them, take and eat, take and drink. Take my body, and become part of me. Take my blood, and be forgiven all your sins.

Friends, in our lives there are two tables set our before us. Come to the table of our Lord Jesus Christ, forget about your old way of life- the ways of sin and life apart from God, and come to a new King, a new Lord, a new God, the God and Father of our savior Jesus. Take from his table- take and eat, take and drink.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” I pray that this year, that right now, you resolve to stay pure- receive the gift of purity that comes only from God, receive the strength to live pure lives that comes only from God. Like Daniel, see through the lies and advances of this world. Grab every opportunity that comes your way, but name the false gods for what they are, and refuse to have anything to do with them! Seek God, stay pure and you will see Him. You will see Him.

Resolutions Worth Keeping: Seek God

January 6, 2008

Here are the top ten resolutions in North America. See if you match up with any of these:

10. Get Organized
9. Help Others
8. Learn something new
7. Get out of Debt
6. Quit Drinking
5. Enjoy Life More
4. Quit Smoking
3. Lose Weight
2. Get Fit
1. Spend more time with Family

I find that list encouraging for the most part- all relatively good stuff. However, it’s sad that people get into such bad habits so that they must make resolutions to start good habits like spending time with family or getting in shape. Of course, it’s even sadder that most folks will break their resolutions before winter is over. Statistically, as we are nearly a week into January, a quarter of all New Year’s resolution have been broken or forgotten, more than half after three months. I saw this cartoon in Reader’s Digest the other day. Don’t ask why I was reading Readers Digest- I’m not retired yet.

What is a resolution anyways? Webster’s dictionary definition-

to be “fixed in purpose.” Or more generically, “a decision to do or not do something.”

I’ve noticed this year many people and pundits mocking New Year’s resolutions. On one level I can understand this. It can be very discouraging to set a goal or try to change something about ourselves, and fail. For years now I’ve made the same New Years resolution- to quit biting my fingernails. I’ve gone through seasons where I’ve kept that resolution for more than a year- most notably when I got married. We decided to marry right after graduation. I knew then that I had only 5 months to have a beautiful ring finger. And I quit cold turkey! I thought I had it beat. Then almost without noticing, I realized about a year into our marriage I was at it again.

While my will power to change a bad habit has had some ups and downs, my desire to not bite my nails has always remained. And that’s part of the bigger picture of my life and this whole idea of resolutions. The fact is I’m not perfect (I know, this is a surprise to my wife and kids and many of you). I haven’t become all that I want to be. I still want to grow in many areas, I still have goals I want to set and achieve. I'm not the man, the minister, the huband, the father, the Christ-follower that I want to be. I need resolve to grow and set goals.

Resolutions are a good thing. Resolutions are a great thing! Growth will not happen without resolve, without a decision to become fixed on a purpose. Goals will not be met without resolve to become fixed on that purpose, to do or not do certain things to achieve said goals. Resolutions, therefore, are vital for our lives and should not be taken lightly.

I was curious to see if the bible had anything to say about resolutions. I suspected it did, as it is a history of the God who was fixed on the purpose of redeeming the world. Now while I found many stories and verses that had something to say about resolutions, I was intrigued that the actual word translated “resolve” from the original Hebrew and Greek only appears four times. It would appear that God wants his people to takes resolutions seriously. Elsewhere in the Bible we called to simply make our yes be yes and our no be no- we should not state things unless we intend to live by them.

Now over the next four weeks we are going to look at each of those occurrences. But what is important to note at the onset is the context for each one. In each situation the writer was in a time of trial or transition. In each instance the person was in some new life stage and situation. In each situation the person could have simply continued on the course that life was already taking them, the same course their own habits would lead them. But each time the writer sees this situation as an opportunity- the opportunity to make a change, and one for the better. Each decides "Hey, my life isn’t perfect and it’s not the way I want it to be. I have room to grow in this situation, I have the opportunity to set a goal in this transition." And each one of them takes the time to publicly pronounce their resolution.

Today we look at the first resolution worth keeping- Seek God. It is our resolution as a church that we will be a community that seeks God. And we want to invite all of you, and your friends, and your neighbors, and our city, to seek God with us!

The story comes from 2 Chronicles 20, a man named Jehoshaphat is king over Judah and Jerusalem. The kingdom of Israel had only recently split, and Jehoshaphat was a righteous man, the bible says. He discovered a plot by some foreign kingdoms to destroy the city of Jerusalem. Verse two says he was alarmed by the news. Don’t you love the understatements of the Bible- yes, all of our foreign neighbors want to kill us, make our children their slaves, and take over our land- how alarming. Well, Jehoshaphat is so alarmed that he made a resolution- he resolved to inquire of the Lord what he should do, and then all the people of Jerusalem came together to fast, to pray and to seek God. 2 Chr. 20:4 says,

“The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.”

In the end, it all worked out for old Jehoshaphat- verse 30 says the kingdom was a peace for God had given him rest on every side. They sought God, they found Him, and He showed them the way to peace. Peace on every side the story says.

Seeking the Lord is one of the major themes of scripture, and should be the major theme of our lives as well. In fact, it should be a resolution. We too should become fixed on the purpose of seeking God. In the Psalms alone the writer speaks of seeking the Lord over 30 times. Ps. 119:2 says, “

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.”

Ps. 119:10 says,

“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.”

Prov. 8:17 says,

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”

The prophets spoken almost verse by verse of seeking the Lord, and urging the people to do the same. In fact, the model and testimony of their lives was that of seeking the Lord. They were singularly fixed on the purpose of seeking the Lord and doing His will in the world. Jer. 29:13 says,

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

I find that to be one of the most beautiful verses in the bible- the assurance that we will find God. God is not hiding, God is not running away from us. God is there to be found. Seek Him, and you will find Him. But there is one stipulation- seek Him with all of your heart. First thing we have to do then in resolving to seek God, as demonstrated in these verses and in these people’s lives- is a gut check...

Are you really seeking God?

There are two ways we find things in life- we stumble upon them, or we seek them out. Seeking out lost and misplaced toys is a daily activity in my house. And I’m actually very good at it. I have the strange ability to remember where nearly everything in my home is located. I know where my kids toys are, where books are left, where my wife put her car keys- it’s really quite remarkable if I do say so myself. Now ask me when my mother’s birthday is, or a phone number I’ve dialed a thousand times, or what my kids names are, and I’m lost. But, every once in a rare while, some thing will get lost and I don’t know where it is. But I’ve learned this trick- if after a brief search it is not turned up, I’ll often say we should stop wasting our time looking, because eventually we’ll stumble upon it. The match box car or missing hoodie eventually turns up in a few days, under the couch or out in the garage.

But sometimes the missing thing is of such great importance the search must continue. If my son doesn’t have his blanky, nobody in the house is going to get any sleep. And so we kick it into high gear. We are turning over tables and looking in every possible place it could be. We know there can be no rest until blanky is found.

Now really, how do you think God wants us to find him? To just stumble upon him as we go about our business? God wants us to seek him. God doesn’t want us to just wait and see if we stumble upon Him at some point in our lives. He wants us to seek him, to seek him with all of our hearts. And there’s a great promise that goes along with this- seek him with all of your heart, and you will find him!

I want you to believe this before you leave this morning- God wants to be found. This attribute of God, like many, is reflected in us, in people, for we are God’s image bearers the bible says. I know I have this desire in me. I know you have this desire in you- we want to be sought out. We like to be pursued- be it by a friend or especially by someone we hope will be more than a friend, we like to be sought after. We want people to want us. And while God is not so arbitrary as we can be, that desire is there- God wants us to seek after Him!

We could talk for ages about what it means to check our guts and seek God, but I want to cut to the chase. What will it look like to resolve to seek God in 2008? Let me offer you a five tools to help you seek God in 2008.

One, resolve to Seek God in worship. Congratulations, you’re already accomplishing one resolution! But really, if you want to seek God, go where God has historically been found- for hundreds of years by millions of people- go to worship. Go to the place where other God seekers gather- because there is power in this. There is something special that happens in the hearts of people that gather to truly seek and worship God. The bible says when 2 or more gather in Jesus’ name, he is there. How much more when 2 or 3 or 4 hundred more gather in his name? This feeling we get, this movement in our souls, this melting of our hearts- that’s the Spirit of God people. That’s us seeking and finding God. So do this. Start each week out by coming back to the gathering of God’s people to sing praise, to say prayers, and to study scripture. This is what the church did from the very beginning- they gathered on the first day of the week, the day of the resurrection, to worship as a community. The bible says that God would reveal himself to people, that lives where changed, that hearts were touched, that people were cured, that amazing things happened. And it’s still happening today. Seek God by starting each week off in worship.

Two, seek God in community- in a Connections Group. Join a small group of people who will get together for the intentional purpose of seeking God. Some people are wired for big group gatherings like this. We love the excitement of an event. Some people are wired for intimacy. We love time at a table with a cup of coffee and a friend. Some people like the dynamic that occurs when a small group of people get together. But no matter how we’re wired to have a personal favorite- we need each. We need the big group, we need the best friends, and we need a support group. So I invite you to resolve to get in a Connections Group this year. We have several groups meeting already, and we’ll keep creating more as more folks want to join up. SO make the resolution- give it at try and see what it does in your life- seek God in the context of community.

Three, seek God in devotion. It’s not enough to have one hour once a week. It’s not enough to have one group meeting once a week. We need to intentionally structured time for God each day. Am I being a bit dogmatic and legalistic here- yep. Do I do it perfectly- nope. Do I get over it- yep. I tell you this, I commend this to you not because I want to put one more thing into your busy day. I commend this because it works. It creates structure, discipline, and it helps. We find God when we read the bible and pray. Do you have 1/2 hour? Maybe. How about 10 minutes. Sure you do. Get a bible, get a devotional, give yourself a few minutes in the morning, or for a coffee or lunch break, or maybe you’re a night owl. Whatever. Seek God in reading his word and prayer, everyday when ever possible. It will change you. I posted some Bible reading plans on my blog, you can go this online, you can have reading emailed to you every day, or you can go old school- get a study bible, get a plan, and get to it. We even have bible reading plans available at our resource table for you.

Four, seek God in service. Many of you are already experiencing this, and know there is nothing else quite like it- the connection we find with God when we are serving Him. So make the resolution- thought helping with this service, joining ministry team. Serve in a volunteer capacity with the North London Resource Centre, or one of numerous missions and agencies in the city- but do it expecting to find God. Really, do it expecting to find God in the service you offer, in the eyes of the poor and needy. Or even serve God in serving your family. Because maybe your are maxed out right now, and you really don’t have space for more- you are running like crazy doing so much for so many as a single parent, working two jobs, raising a bunch of kids, foster parenting- see your work with the eyes of serving God- and you will find His presence there.

Five, seek God in the unexpected. That’s it. Expect to find God isn the unexpected. In the conversation with a neighbor. In the kiss of your child, in the still of the morning, in the opportunity to make a difference in someones life- seek God in the unexpected.

Five tools I hope will help you to seek God- seek Him in Worship, Seek Him in Community, Seek Him in Devotion, Seek Him in Service, Seek Him in the Unexpected. Seek God not because he’s hiding, because he's not. Seek Him because he wants to be found. Make this your starting resolution this year- seek God.

And as you do I invite you to pray for our church as we seek God in some tangible ways in 2008. Pray for us as we have made these resolutions in our pursuit of God- 5 in all. One for each finger to remember in prayer.

1. Pray that we fill this theatre in worship- 350 seats.
2. Pray we sign up 100 volunteers for our ministry teams.
3. Pray we launch launch our formal Connections Groups program with 200 participants this fall. Pray we have to move to two services or two theatres.
4. Pray that we see 52 people connect with God through the ministry of this church- one for every week of the year.

I think that’s reasonable- that through our efforts God might bless us and use us to draw people that He loves close to him. We pray for this not because we are about numbers, but because we are about people- and we want people to know God, to connect with community, to connect with the world.

And maybe we can start reaching that final goal right now. Maybe somebody today is ready to make that resolution to seek God- to take that step of faith and move close tot he God that came close to use in Jesus Christ...