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.
- Pray that we fill this theatre in worship- 350 seats.
- Pray we sign up 100 volunteers for our ministry teams.
- 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.
- Pray that we see 52 people connect with God through the ministry of this church- one for every week of the year.
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...
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