OMTL - 2

Our theme through the month of July is One Month to Live - Thirty Days to a No-Regret's Life.

If you’re reading along, you should either have just completed chapters 2 to 8, or you can read those this week.

SERIES TEXT - Psalm 90:12

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

____________________

I love watching the Patriots play. There is a defensive team member of that team named Teddy Bruschi, who is the ‘heart’ of the squad. In Feb. 2005, right after the Pro Bowl, Teddy was taken to the hospital where it was determined that his blurred vision, numbness, and headache was the result of a stroke! 8 months later, he back and that season was named Defensive player of the week for making 10 sacks in the game on his first week back! Bruschi loves football and plays with heart!

I’m told that an NFL player who plays at that intense level sustains damage to his body each game that is the equivalent to going through a major automobile accident! Yet, they do it, and not just for the money.

Passion makes athletes push their bodies beyond all limits to gain a win. You can just change the details and it holds true that men and women who make similar sacrifices for the military, for science, for family, for Christ- will be people of passionate convictions! The driving force behind great art, great drama, great architecture – all things great – is something called - passion.

Today’s message is titled -

A Life of No Regrets will be Lived Passionately!

Text- Luke 5:17-26 PB 1598

Jesus tells us that we please God when we live with passion!

∙ "Love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’" (Mark 12:30, The Message) It is more familiar this way: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30, NIV)

Did you see that interchange of words - heart and passion? In this message, I will be using those words interchangeably as well. In our main text, there is a story about some men with real heart! They had a real need, a vision about meeting that need, and the passion to work to make something happen.

READ - Luke 5:17-26 PB 1598

This story represents REAL passion to me, for it includes action! There is a kind of passion is that is a lot of noise. When the shouting is over, the passion fades. I’ve been more than a few gatherings of various kinds where the excitement builds in the room as somebody with a loud voice stirs up emotion, but when the music fades and the sound system is switched off, the so-called ‘passion’ is gone, too.

But these men who brought their needy friend to Jesus show me three critical components of passion, of living with real heart.

First - they had FOCUS!

The hunters in this room will know the difference between a shotgun and a rifle. A rifle is much more deadly over a far greater range, because there is one projectile that is spun in such as way that it remains stable in flight carrying the full deadly power of the gun! A shotgun allows persons of lesser skills as marksmen to hunt successfully by spraying several dozen small pellets in a pattern.

Does your life have a rifle-like focus that keeps you on target, packing a punch over the long haul?

People of passion need to know who they are, how God has gifted them, and then remain FOCUSED!

It is no high praise to be called ‘a jack of all trades and master of none!’

Second - these men had DETERMINATION!

Some of us more practical types, had we been there that day, might have said, “Sorry, man, we tried to get you to Jesus, but the way was blocked. Maybe another day, OK?” But not these men! They would not give up. If the crowd would not part to let them get their friend to Jesus, then they would find another way; even if it meant dragging the guy to the housetop, digging through the straw and mud that formed the roof, and putting up with the anger of those on whom the debris rained down!

Here’s a curious fact about determination.... it is developed by difficulties! In a passage that provokes me James says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." (James 1:2-3, NKJV) Patience is a translation of the Biblical word - Hupomone (hoop·om·on·ay) which means literally “stand under” OR ‘to stand up under pressure.’ What a definition of determination!

People of passion don’t quit when the first problem shows up. They embrace the challenge and grow through it.

Third - these men had INTENTIONALITY!

They had a goal - get our friend to Jesus. That goal drove them to act and shaped their strategy!

What do you intend to do with your life, disciple? The great sin of many Believers is not lust, nor greed, nor materialism. It is apathy! Because of fear or fatigue, many of us are simply existing, drifting through one day after another. We’re too afraid to hope, too tired to try.

Passion produces intentionality.

This weekend we mark America’s Independence Day. The leaders that signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia more than two centuries ago were men of intention. They knew their act would invite the superpower of that era to rise up to crush their rebellion, but they also hoped that their declaration would awaken passion for freedom across the colonies. Everyone of the signers of the Declaration of Independence paid a fearful price for their stand. Some died, most lost their fortune, some their families.

We need the same kind of passion for the work of Christ. We need to give ourselves to holy living, to abolishing injustice, to loving radically - passionately intentional about the will of God.

Paul urges us to live with passion in this command found in Romans 12:11: "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." ( NIV)

Passion requires focus, determination, and intentionality.

So, what will we do? Again, I take some lessons from these men who wanted to bring their friend to Jesus.

People of passion need to DO SOMETHING DRASTIC.

These men found the way to Jesus blocked so they tore a hole in a roof! That’s drastic, isn’t it?

Are you cautiously incremental? In simpler terms, do you try to bring about the necessary radical change of being Jesus’ disciple by taking baby steps?

Most of us, if we want to become passionate disciples of Jesus Christ, need to do more than rearrange a couple of activities on Sunday! If you’re nodding along in agreement and thinking, “I’m going to do more for Jesus. I’ll get to church at least two Sundays a month, instead of one.” - you have missed the point!

Pastor Kerry Shook says our real problem when it comes to living with passion for Christ “is not time management. It is life management!” Many of us are so dug into our habits, our patterns, so held by our assumptions about what is possible, that only a real game changer will break us into a new way of life.

Clarifying question - “What if I just 30 days to live?”

Ill. On January 10, 2008, I stood with Mom and Bev at my Dad’s bedside just after the surgery which revealed is cancer. The surgeon stepped outside of Dad’s room with me and said, “Your father’s best day is today. It’s downhill from here. We have no effective treatment for his cancer!” That was a game-changer for me! My priorities for the next 13 months were totally different. I suddenly ‘discovered’ that I had time to drive to his place and spend a couple of days with him just about every week.

Disciple, ask yourself the hard questions about how you’re living. Sit with a trusted friend, or your spouse, or your adult kids and ask them to tell you the truth about yourself! Promise you won’t get mad, that you will not defend or excuse. Just listen! It could be a game-changing moment for you.

Getting passionate about God’s will in your life will probably not happen without drastic action.

Stop excusing your spiritual laziness and get out of bed to ready and study Christian texts and the Scripture.

Stop blaming your boss for your failure to serve the Lord in some meaningful way. Commit yourself, your time. Do it publicly so you can’t back out!

Ask yourself - would I still be doing this if I only had 30 days to live?

People of passion have to DRAG THE OBSTACLES OUT OF THE WAY!

It is never easy to live an ‘on purpose’ life. There is an old saying that reminds us that “the tyranny of the urgent distracts us from the truly important.” It is so true, isn’t it?

Think back over your week for a moment....

Now, would you be eager to present yourself to the Lord for His review of the things you’ve done,

the places you’ve been, the kind of parent you were, the way you did your work?

Are you thinking, “But, Pastor, you don’t understand my life. My boss controls my days. My wife is a miserable person. My kids are obnoxious little rebels!...”

You can make excuses to leave things as they are, OR you can drag the obstacles out of the way and start to live passionately. It really is YOUR call! And it starts with choosing the important over the urgent. You may not want to believe this, but the biggest obstacle to real change is YOU! WE cannot control our world, but we are in charge of our responses to it!

People of passion LEARN TO LIVE WITH THE UNEXPECTED!

Take a look at v. 20 in our story text. (READ)

The men who got their friend to Jesus through the roof expected him to be healed. Instead, Jesus forgives his sins! What if they had shouted down through that hole in the roof, “No, Jesus, that’s not what we want. Either heal him or we’re going to pull him back up here!” OK, maybe that a bit ridiculous, but the fact of the matter is that they were surprised, and so were many in the crowded house!

When you start to live passionately; getting focused, remaining determined, and intentionally setting goals; when you’ve decided to go back off the main road and taken that drastic step - prepare to be surprised. None of us is anywhere near big enough to grasp what God is doing or even to anticipate all the possibilities.

That’s when we have to live with faith and accept the unexpected!

Ill. In 1987, at age 32, I had enjoyed some wonderful privileges in ministry. God had blessed us in many ways and we were doing good things. In six short months, life completely changed. I found myself pastoring a tiny mission congregation in Great Barrington, MA that had less people in the total congregation than were in my Sunday School class here when I was my Dad’s associate.

I remember looking over that little congregation and wondering why I was there. I was tempted to think that God was punishing me. When we closed our 12 ½ years of service to that church, it had grown multiple times over, we had dozens of families that were close, hundreds of ministry opportunities. But most important, God had preserved my marriage, given me another chance with my kids, and helped me grow up! The unexpected turned out to be an amazing gift of grace.

What if I had been petulant and told the Lord, “I’m not going there. It’s too small. It doesn’t pay enough. .... blah, blah?” Who knows, but I’m fairly certain that I would have missed out on a great blessing!

Lastly, take at look at the closing words of the story. READ v. 26

Passionate people CREATE PLACES WHERE GOD DISPLAYS HIS GLORY!

Nobody was saying, “Wow. What wonderful friends. Let’s give those guys on the roof a good neighbor award.” They disappear in the story and it ends with everybody in awe of what God had done!

If you’re aim in life is to impress people, Jesus says, their admiration is all your efforts will produce. In His sermon that outlined the principles of His kingdom, He spoke to making our devotion a spectacle. Let me read it to you from The Message:

“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get.

When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace." (The Message)

For a person who is passionate about God’s work, there is no better outcome than this:

"Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”" (Luke 5:26, NLT)

Are you living passionately for the work of God? Remember, it’s not about some grand job, some huge moment. It’s about "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:16, NIV)

As I close, I want to borrow a quote from C.S. Lewis. "Too often we are like children who settle for playing in mud puddles when the beauty and the immensity of the ocean is just a few feet away."

Are you dabbling in this and that, passing your days with diversions, wasting time and resources, trying to protecting yourself from risk?

Ask the clarifying question:

What if I had 30 days to live, is this the stuff I would be doing?

Let’s stop existing and invite the Spirit to lead us into the life that Jesus described as abundant.

Focus, Determination, Intentionality are keys.

People of passion are -

Willing to do something drastic,

Ready to drag obstacles out of the way,

Able to live with the unexpected, and

Creating places where God displays His glory.

PRAY

Lord, we come before You and we just commit to You to live the next 30 days as they are our last; not because we are going to die, but because we want to learn how to live. Help us to find a life of passion, to develop it and to follow it and to fuel it, Lord, with the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Lord, we're tired of mud puddles. We want to move into the depths of the ocean to experience You at a whole new level.

I pray for every one of us, Lord, that we would really become who You created us to be; to have more of You living through us.

Jesus, I pray for those who have never received Your grace and goodness. Right now in the silence of their heart, would You whisper of Your amazing grace and deep, deep love to them.

Thank you for your gifts. Lead us I pray to new discoveries of grace this week.

Amen.

If you’re here and you have never invited Christ to be in charge of your life, here’s how:

Jesus, come into my life. I want You within my life. Forgive me of my sins. As best I know how I want You to be the Lord of my life from now on.

Lord, lead me to a new way to life and help me to start the journey to Heaven, right here, right now - today! In Jesus' name. Amen.

Jerry D. Scott

(with thanks to OneMonthToLive.org)