SERMON NOTES:JOLT- Burning Fuel

We live in a fast-pace, microwave, instant-everything world. We go from early morning to late at night with all the stuff life throws at us. Have you ever noticed life drains us? That’s why so many of us are addicted to coffee or sodas or energy drinks and bars, ginseng tea, or whatever other energy-giving additive we can find. Life drains and these things fuel us to keep us going, since we don’t slow down long enough to get fully recharged otherwise. We need real, lasting fuel to energize our souls!Do you ever find yourself going from one scheduled activity to the next, and find that your daily routine and life patterns are exhausting?

Maybe the reason so many of us are drained, running on E, is because we’re burning our fuel constantly heading in the wrong direction. We run on fuel, but we can waste a lot of fuel going the wrong way and being consumed doing the wrong things.

Here's the Big Idea: Through prayer, God gives direction to our daily lives.

“This, then, is how you should pray:‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ Matthew 6:9-10, NCV.

Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will or desires to be accomplished in our lives. This is a pivotal element of prayer.

Key questions:

• Do I believe God can and will answer the prayers of common people?
• Do I believe that God knows best for me and has my best interest in mind?
  
• Do I hold to this popular idea that leads to a greater demise of lostness and burn-out? “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Invictus, William Ernest Henley.
  

This isn’t about being lazy or wimpy, but about perspective.

• Illustration of GPS guidance. He can see what we can’t and he’s planned the route out for us. He knows the best way for us to go, the one that will be most effective. When we follow God’s plan we are fueled and fulfilled. When we don’t, we are drained and constantly running on E and lost.
• Like watching a parade from the window of a skyscraper, He can see things coming that we can never anticipate.

So, God offered us the fuel of prayer to energize our soul and provide direction for life, and Jesus taught us the “how-to’s” of gaining direction in prayer.

1. Consider Our Way!
In order to conserve fuel while driving or hiking, I must first stop and thinking the path I’ve traveled, and take a close look at where I’m at. Basically, find my bearings.The alternative is to continue wandering or heading in the wrong direction which leads to burn out and draining the already depleted reserves of fuel.

The first step of gaining God’s direction is to admit that I don’t know best road for our daily lives. It’s to take a hard look at where I am and where I’m going, and turn it over to God.

Proverbs 4:26, "Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established."

• Take time to be quiet and assess your life.Regularly take time to assess my steps.
  
• Re-evaluate my direction in life and pause in my decision making. Look at your life. Take time for personal examination!
  
• Ask: “Am I open to the direction and leading of God?” and “Do I really want God’s best for my life today?”
• God is not the God of confusion or chaos. When our lives feel out-of-order, we need to pause and consider our ways.

You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you. So, trust the Lord always, because he is our Rock forever. Isaiah 26:3-4, NCV.

2. Commit Our Day!
Now it’s time to actually listen and follow what our trail guide speaks.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it and he will. Psalm 37:5, NLT.

• Commit your schedule to Him. When you commit your schedule to the Lord, He gives you strength and multiplies your time.
• If God knows what’s best on a daily basis, isn’t better to consult with and spend time following His guidance. This is simply asking God, “Lead me today. Let your will be done with my life.”
  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV.

• Offer your entire schedule, your daily life, not just the moments when your begging for help and can’t see your way or feel lost. Invite God to lead your steps. That’s one moment at a time.

GLAD TO BE BACK

For those that were wondering, I'm thrilled to be back in Hagerstown, and looking forward to LifeHouse this coming Sunday. Laura and I were up in NY for a family college graduation (on a Sun. morning), but I missed my "family". This was only the second weekend we've missed since launching the church in 2 yrs.

You'd think being away would be rejuvenating. And vacations are and can be. But it's funny, I am as inspired, motivated, and energized by my daily activities, and sense the passion and purposes of God everyday, as much as when I get a Sunday off. I still want to take more vacation, but primarily to spend time with my family, not because I need it to get refreshed.

KEEP IT SIMPLE- part duece

Here's the second part of my thoughts about "keeping it simple". The first had to do with personal life, this one about principles for keeping life simple.

When it comes to ministry in general, but specifically at the LifeHouse, here are some principles to keep it simple and focused.

• Just because we’re doing more ministry doesn’t mean that more lives are being won to Jesus or more hearts are being transformed. I’ve been a part of churches and put in way too many hours doing church with very little actual fruit to show for it. I want to find the ministry with the greatest return. That’s why we don’t have to do more than we’re doing. So what if we feel guilty for not doing more. Besides, how much do we actually need and can actually apply every week. If everyone of us at the LifeHouse applied the one “Big Idea” we present on Sunday mornings to our lives every week, we would literally have the most mature church in the world. Less is more. We don’t need to keep piling on more stuff, just make what we’re doing most effective.
  
• Find it in the Bible. When I speak with people challenging the way we do church at the LifeHouse or defending the way their church operates (I’m talking about other pastors and leaders), I’ll usually default to the Bible. Something like, “can you show me that in the New Testament?” or “We’re just trying to live out today what we read in the Bible?” or “If the disciples were alive today, what would the churches they pastor look like?” Our focus must be what God’s called us to do and be, and keep it centered on biblical truths.
• Remember our Cause. We have a very clear purpose for living out the life of the church and ministry (especially Matthew 28:18-20 and 22:37-40; Acts 1:8; also see Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35). This is the determining line between what we say “yes” and “no” to. If it lines up with our Cause (the Cause of Christ), then great, let’s go. If not, oh well. We’re sorry, we can’t do everything for everybody. I’m convinced that the reason a lot of churches get caught up in a lot of less effective endeavors and waste God’s resources and people’s energy is that they’ve forgotten why they do what they do. When the Church loses sight of where she’s going, then she wanders aimlessly in a variety of “good” but not great directions. Keep focused on the Cause. Never lose sight of the “why.” When I read the above passages, I’m reminded of how “simple” church was in the New Testament. How organic. How relational. How vibrant and contagious. It was about living life together and growing into devoted Jesus-followers, not about the program of church.
• Who cares what you think. The bulk of criticism about any church, but personally regarding the LifeHouse, comes from people who never serve, have very little Kingdom impact, and give nothing or very little financially. I think these people see there ministry as that of criticism. We only have so much energy and passion (yes, even me) and I don’t want to waste it dealing with these people. Even other pastors who will criticize or critique us, I just ask them, “So what are you doing for the Kingdom of God?” Usually, they’re criticizing to justify their own shortcomings or insecurities. Meaning, they’re not doing it, so rather than kicking their own butt, they’ll find something wrong with what we’re doing to justify why we’re not really as effective as they previously thought. The people I’ll listen to are those who do the following: give, serve, invite friends, and participate regularly.
  
• Wait until the need cries out. Don’t start new ministries or programs until there is a cry for a need to be met. If the over all effectiveness of the church community is hindered by the lack of ministry then it’s time to consider doing more ministry. When there are people who are crying out for a ministry, and we have the leaders to lead that area of ministry, then we’ll develop a plan and launch that ministry, i.e. no point in having a deaf ministry at the LifeHouse if we have not deaf people attending.

I have a confession: there is a constant pull for me towards complexity and complication in both my life and ministry. I’m convinced that the enemy wants to throw confusion, distractions and “good” stuff in the way of the best and most valuable. I want to keep saying yes, not because I can’t say no, but because it all seems so good to be doing. When I look at the LifeHouse, I regularly wonder if we’re doing enough. Maybe we should be doing more, I mean, all the other churches I know do midweek services, Sunday School, lots of other committees and meetings, so maybe we should to.

Whenever this tendency arises, here’s my thought process and the resources I’ve used to keep me centered.

First, when it comes to my personal life- relationship with God and family. Here are some good ideas or principles:

• A clear conscience is the best pillow. My mind is less preoccupied when not worried about or plagued by sin, temptation, regret, shame, or a recent argument. So, repent often and forgive just as often. Read Psalm 15 and Psalm 26. I make a big deal privately about having a pure heart and right motives. Here are another few passages to pray: Psalm 19:14; Job 31:1; Psalm 51.
• Every time I say “yes” to something, I’m saying “no” to something else. Laughter is huge. Life gets complex, difficult and laughter seems to drop off the cliff. Build into your life time to laugh and laugh at things in life as much as possible. I didn’t say laugh at people. We just don’t have time to take ourselves that seriously. Don’t wear your feelings on your sleeves, or else everything in life will steal your joy and leave you feeling wasted and frustrated.
  
• Keep prayer as the primary fuel and focus of life. It’s this simple, when I pray I’m focused, energized, purposeful, and seem to take things in stride and find satisfaction in life. When I’m not praying daily, life stinks, the slightest thing sets me off, and I’ll work 5 hrs to get 1 hrs worth of work done. Jesus died so I could enjoy relationship with the Father, and I don’t want to waste His sacrifice for me.
• Family needs each other more than stuff or activities. Okay, this one’s tough. But after much consideration and deliberation, Laura and I are discovering we don’t need more or to do more, we just need to spend time with each other and our girls. It’s amazing the simple things we can enjoy when we actually enjoy being around each other. So, before we run off to the store to buy the “latest-and-greatest” ask “why?” Will that take away from or add to the simplicity of my life? And before I sign up for or sign our girls up for something, we need to ask the same question. I’m an active person, and could go 24-7, but the best times for our girls are not when we’re “doing” but when I’m “being.

I’m sure there’s a pile of other things I should put in here, but these are the top picks for me.