30 December 2018
I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to Psalm 116:1-19
1. I love the
LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
2. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call
on him as long as I live.
3. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish
of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
4. Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, save me!"
5. The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God
is full of compassion.
6. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I
was in great need, he saved me.
7. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD
has been good to you.
8. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from
death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
9. that I may walk before the LORD in the land
of the living.
10. I believed; therefore I said, "I am
greatly afflicted."
11. And in my dismay I said, "All men are
liars."
12. How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness
to me?
13. I will lift up the cup of salvation and call
on the name of the LORD.
14. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the
presence of all his people.
15. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the
death of his saints.
16. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your
servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.
17. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and
call on the name of the LORD.
18. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the
presence of all his people,
19. in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in
your midst, O Jerusalem
-- in 1990,
one of the most influential business management books of all time was published
by Dr. Stephen Covey -- "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"
-- this book revolutionized the way business managers looked at running their
companies and managing their people -- before, managers simply looked at the
bottom-line and managed people as nothing more than another resource -- another
tool -- to increase profits in their business
-- but
Covey's book moved management past that and emphasized the value of each
individual's efforts in the overall success of the business -- instead of just
looking at people as something to be used, Covey suggested that highly
effective companies and highly effective and successful people in life had
seven habits in common -- all based on valuing the people that worked in their
organization -- in fact, Covey argued, these seven habits will not only make
you an effective businessman, they will make you a successful person in your
personal life as well
-- the
seven habits that Covey lists in his books are:
1.
Be Proactive -- when problems and obstacles come up in your life,
don't waste time blaming people or things -- but focus your energy on moving
forward;
2. Begin with the End in Mind -- in
other words, have a vision as to where you want to go;
3. Put First Things First -- focus on
the steps that you have to take to accomplish your vision -- don't waste time
and energy on tasks in the future, but focus on what you need to do today to
accomplish this vision;
4. Think Win-Win -- remember other
people have goals and visions, too, and work with them to come up with an
answer that helps everyone;
5. Seek First to Understand and Then to be
Understood -- in other words, you have to know and understand the people
that you are working with first and what their needs are before you can explain
your own needs -- as John Maxwell said, "Nobody cares how much you know
until they know how much you care";
6. Synergize -- by which he means to
bring together everyone in your organization and let them contribute to the
overall goal and direction of a project;
7. Sharpen the Saw -- which focuses on
self-renewal, including physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects of life
II. Habits of
Highly Effective Spiritual People
-- now when
you think about it, there's really nothing ground-breaking in Covey's book --
the seven habits he listed are things that most of us knew we should be doing
-- not only in business but in our personal lives as well -- we just had never
thought of putting them together like this
-- but
sometimes it takes someone like Covey to sit down and synthesize these ideas
into one easily readable book that can ignite a spark and start a revival of
sorts -- what Covey did here is similar to what Rick Warren did in his book,
"The Purpose-Driven Life" -- Warren didn't come up with anything new
but simply restated biblical principles in a new way that caught America's
attention and revitalized the church
-- thinking
about this, I thought it would be helpful for us to take a few moments this
morning as we look towards the new year and do the same thing with our
spiritual lives -- you know, I've often said that I don't have an original
thought in my head -- that everything I give you is either begged, borrowed, or
stolen -- but, truth be told, I think that is true for everything
-- I think
everything that we know and say and do and hope for is merely a reflection of
God's word spoken into our lives and into this world from the beginning -- God’s
word never changes -- His plan for our lives and His offer of hope and
salvation never change -- but the Holy Spirit takes that message and inspires others
to share it in different ways to reach different audiences -- the truth is
there, whether it’s in the form of a book or a message or even a movie
-- so, this
morning, as we move towards this new year together, I want to share with you
the "Habits of Highly Effective Spiritual People" based on Psalm 116
-- there's nothing new that I'm going to be giving you here -- you've all heard
this before -- but maybe by presenting it in a new light and repackaging it for
you in this way -- you might gain some insight into your spiritual life and the
Holy Spirit might be able to speak to you and catch your attention on some
changes that you need to make
-- the
three habits I have derived from this passage are:
#1. Believe and Know God
#2. Follow and Serve God.
#3. Praise and Thank God
-- if you
were to read a biography of any great man or woman of faith -- from the Apostle
Paul to Mother Teresa to Billy Graham to St. Augustine or any of the heroes of
faith listed in Hebrews 11 -- they all have one thing in common -- their lives
reflect these three habits -- it’s obvious if you look at them -- it’s part of who
these people were in Christ
-- I think
it’s important that we hang onto that word, “habit” -- we’re here at the start
of a new year, and a lot of us start the new year with a list of resolutions --
a list of our goals for the new year
-- the idea
is that we will get started on them on January 1st and we will successfully meet
our goals by the end of the year -- but, it doesn’t always work like that, does
it? -- has anyone ever had a problem with keeping a new year’s resolution? --
yeah, all of us -- that’s why the gym that is so packed in January is so empty
in February
-- goals are
laudable -- and taking action to meet goals is great -- but until you take the
step of changing your goals and your actions into habits, nothing is ever really
going to change -- until your actions become internalized and become habits,
you’re only going to be going through the motions
-- that’s
one thing Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for -- they were going through the
motions of religion, but it wasn’t real -- it wasn’t who they were -- it was
just what they did because it was expected of them
-- but, when
actions become habits, they become more than just what we do -- they become
part of us -- we do these things because they are a reflection of who we have
become -- in other words, we act this way because this is who we are
-- Billy
Graham didn’t get up each morning and say, “I need to pray” -- he got up and
began to pray because that is what a man of God does -- he didn’t have to think
about it -- he didn’t have to make a conscious decision to do it -- it was part
of him -- getting up and turning his thoughts to God and beginning his day in
conversation with God was just something he did -- it was part of who he was --
it flowed out of who he had become in Christ
-- that’s
the difference between a habit and an external action like that of the
Pharisees -- external actions are just things we check off each day to say we’ve
done them -- habits are innate behaviors that we simply do because they are who
we are
-- goals lead
to actions and actions should lead to habits -- but actions only become habits when
we change who we are on the inside -- this change happens when we receive Jesus
as our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us
-- the
Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:16 that we are new creations in Christ -- the
old has passed away -- the new has come -- and that means our thoughts and our
beliefs and our behaviors begin to change -- we do different things because we
are different people -- we have been changed on the inside and our actions
reflect that change
-- that is
why I call these three principles “habits” -- because our goal is to do more
than just externally conform to God’s word -- our goal should not be to simply
check off actions each day and say we’ve done them -- our goal should be to
transform ourselves into new people -- to become a person who is so filled with
the presence of God that we simply breathe in and out these habits in our daily
lives without thinking, just as the great men and women of faith that we read
about did
-- because
this is a process, we have to begin externally -- we begin by just doing the
actions -- by shifting our daily decisions and behaviors to reflect who it is
we want to become -- and, as we do this, we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to
transform us and change us through these actions into the men and women that
God wants us to be -- to change who we are on the inside until we reach the
point where we do these things simply because they are part of who we are
-- so,
let's take a moment this morning and look at each of these habits individually
and consider how we might begin this process of transformation in our lives --
making these habits a part of us as we seek to grow closer to God everyday
III. Habit #1 --
Believe and Know God
-- look back at verse 1
1. I love the
LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
2. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call
on him as long as I live.
3. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish
of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
4. Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, save me!"
5. The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God
is full of compassion.
6. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I
was in great need, he saved me.
-- when
Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose-Driven Life," came out, the first
four words in that book captured the attention of America -- "It's Not
About Me" -- those four words, more than anything else, set the stage for
the success of that book and the plan for life that it contained
-- the
opening words here of the Psalmist should do the same for us as we look at the
habits of highly effective spiritual people -- "I love the Lord" --
those four words mean so much -- these four words should be what defines us as
people and what gives purpose and meaning to our lives -- "I love the
Lord"
-- when we
say that, we are saying several different things -- first, we are saying that
we believe in God -- that is the starting point of any spiritual life -- you
have to believe that God is -- you have to believe that God is there -- that He
is real -- and that He loves you and has a plan and purpose for your life that
is greater than your own -- believing in a personal God who knows you and loves
you gives your life meaning
-- Shia
LaBeouf is one of Hollywood's best and brightest stars -- for the last several
years, he's been at the top of the box office, with movies like Transformers
and Indiana Jones -- in fact, the last Transformers movie pulled in over $200M
in it's opening weekend -- but, despite being one of Hollywood's highest paid
and most productive actors, LaBeouf told an interviewer in June that his life
has no real meaning or purpose -- he said -- and I quote -- "Sometimes I
feel like I'm living a meaningless life, and I get frightened -- I have no
answers to anything -- What is life about? -- I don't know"
-- the
message is clear -- faith is essential to finding fulfillment and purpose in
life -- believing in God is the first step in that process
-- the
second thing we say when we exclaim, "I love the Lord," is that we
know God -- in verse 1, the Psalmist says that God heard his cry of mercy -- in
verse 2 he says that God turned His ear to him and the he would call on God as
long as he lived
-- to love
God is to know God -- it is to have a personal relationship with Him -- this
means that you can speak to God and know that He hears -- that you can go to
God with any of your problems -- with any of your needs -- with any of your
worries and cares -- and you know that the God of all the universe -- the Lord
God Almighty -- will stop and listen to you and speak back to your heart
because He cares
-- when I
use the term "know" here, I am not just talking about head-knowledge
-- I'm talking about heart-knowledge -- I'm using the term "know" in
the same sense that the Bible does when it says that Adam knew Eve -- a better
term might be "experienced" -- it means that we know a person
intimately, inside and out, with our head and our heart and our emotions and
our whole being -- that is what we mean when we say that we know God -- that is
what we should be striving for
-- that is
why we pray and speak with God -- that is why we read His word -- that is why
we listen for His voice in the church and in His people -- so that we can get
to know Him better and experience Him in our lives
-- it’s not
a matter of just checking off a box every day -- of saying, “I read the Bible
today” or “I prayed today” -- it’s a matter of communing with God because we
know Him and love Him and want to be with Him
-- the
third thing we imply when we say, "I love the Lord," is that we know
what God has done for us -- look back at verse 3
3. The cords of
death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by
trouble and sorrow.
4. Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"O LORD, save me!"
-- this was
the state of our being before we came to know God -- we were trapped by sin and
death -- we were sentenced to eternal separation in outer darkness -- we had no
future -- we had no hope
-- but when
we cried out for help, God heard us and sent His Son to the earth -- through Jesus'
death and resurrection on the cross, our sins have been forgiven and we have
been ushered into eternal life with Him -- all we have to do is receive His
free gift of salvation
-- the
Psalmist said that God was gracious and righteous and full of compassion -- He
saw our needs -- He heard our cries -- He had compassion on our souls and He
poured out His grace and righteousness into our lives
-- that is
why the Psalmist can say, "when I was in great need, He saved me" --
we know and recognize what God has done for us
-- these
three things taken together are what we mean when we say "I love the
Lord" -- we mean that we believe and know God -- this is the first habit
of a highly effective spiritual person
IV. Habit #2 -- Follow and Serve God
-- verse 7
7. Be at rest once
more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
8. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from
death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
9. that I may walk before the LORD in the land
of the living.
10. I believed; therefore I said, "I am
greatly afflicted."
11. And in my dismay I said, "All men are
liars."
12. How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness
to me?
13. I will lift up the cup of salvation and call
on the name of the LORD.
14. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the
presence of all his people.
15. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the
death of his saints.
16. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your
servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.
-- the second
habit of a highly effective spiritual person is to follow and serve God
-- a few
years ago, I read a story about the Stephens family in Katy, Texas -- they were
going out to eat one day with their 8-year-old son, Tyler, when they passed a
homeless man holding a sign -- just like you probably do everyday when you go
to town
-- Tyler
noticed the man and said, "Let's take that man something to eat" --
Tyler's father looked at the man -- looked at the way he was dressed -- the
location where he was sitting -- thought about the fact that it was starting to
get late and there wasn't many people around and he replied, "That's a
great idea, but it's probably not a safe for us to stop and do that"
-- when
they got to the restaurant, Tyler had big tears coming down his cheeks -- when
his father asked him why he was crying, Tyler said, "What good is an idea
if that's all it ever is?" -- they bought food and carried it to the man
-- I think Tyler
-- to truly
live out the Christian life -- to be a highly effective person in our spiritual
lives -- we have to put our faith in action -- we have to do more than get
saved and sit in the pews -- we have to pick up our cross and follow Christ and
serve Him by serving others
-- look
back at verse 7
7. Be at rest once
more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
8. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from
death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
9. that I may walk before the LORD in the land
of the living.
10. I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
11. And in my dismay I said, "All men are
liars."
12. How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness
to me?
-- the Psalmist points out that God has done so much for him
-- He delivered his soul from death -- He wiped away the tears from his eyes --
He put his feet on a firm path
-- thinking
about how good God has been to him, the Psalmist asks, "What can I do in
return? -- how can I show Him my love?" -- and then he answers the
question
-- verse 13
13. I will lift up
the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
14. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the
presence of all his people.
15. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the
death of his saints.
16. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your
servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.
-- I will call on the
name of the Lord -- I will fulfill my vows -- I will serve Him
-- I heard
a story one time about a Greek professor who had survived the atrocities
committed by the Nazis in his homeland during World War II -- as a result he
had dedicated his life to establishing an institute to heal the wounds of war
among his countrymen and women.
-- at the
end of his presentation at the conference, he reached in his worn leather
billfold and pulled out a very small round mirror
-- as he
held the mirror up, he explained what it was all about -- One day when he was a
small child during World War II, there was a battle in his hometown with the
Germans -- after the battle, he found the broken pieces of a mirror from a
German motorcycle laying on the road near his house
-- he took
the largest piece and began to smooth it down by rubbing the edges on a rock
and ended up with this small round mirror that he kept in his wallet
-- the
professor said that he became fascinated by the fact that he could reflect
light into dark places where the sun would never shine – in deep holes and
crevices and dark closets -- It became a game for him to try to get light into
the most inaccessible places -- over the years, he kept the little mirror, and
would take out from time to time and continue the challenge.
-- he said,
"I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game, but a
metaphor for what I might do with my life. -- I came to understand that I am
not the light or even the source of light. But light – as truth, understanding,
and knowledge – is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I
reflect it. -- I can be the reflected light that changes people.”
-- this is
what God wants from us -- He wants us to reflect His light and shine it into
the darkness of this world by following and serving Him where He leads --
there's a lot of darkness in America today -- you don't have to look far to
find it -- and our calling as Christians is to speak life into death -- to
shine light into the dark
-- the life
of every great hero of the faith was characterized by this one simple fact --
they cared about others and they served God by serving those who needed their
help -- as Christians, we should be striving to meet the physical and spiritual
needs of others -- this means more than just throwing money at ministry -- this
means getting your hands dirty -- going into the places where Jesus went when
He was here -- visiting the people Jesus visited when He was here --
ministering to and serving them and meeting both their physical and spiritual
needs
-- before
you leave here today, ask yourself the question, "Where is God calling me
to serve? -- Where is God calling this church to serve?" -- and then go
out and do it
-- -- we've
always heard that people who are lost tend to walk in circles -- a few years
ago, there was a study published in Current Biology where scientists
devised an experiment to find out if this was true or not -- they put
volunteers in the middle of a forest in Germany and in the middle of a desert
in Tunisia to see what would happen
-- when the
people could see the sun or the moon or some elevated distant landmark, they
could move in a straight line -- but when cloud-cover or moonless nights
prevailed, the hikers began walking
hopeless circles -- the authors of the study concluded that
people need absolute cues such as the sun or moon to keep going forward
-- that's
what following and serving God does for a Christian -- it keeps us from going
on circles -- it keeps us from going round and round and walking and getting
nowhere -- following and serving God puts our path on the path and helps us
move forward and become more mature in our faith -- it gives direction and
purpose to our faith
-- that is
why following and serving God is the second habit of highly effective spiritual
people
V. Habit
#3 -- Praise and Thank God (verses 17-19)
-- the
final habit of highly effective spiritual people is to praise and thank God --
look back at verse 17
17. I will
sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
18. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the
presence of all his people,
19. in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in
your midst, O Jerusalem
-- verse 17
calls to mind one of the praise songs that we occasionally sing in church --
"We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord" --
remember that? -- this song and this verse remind of something that I think
we've forgotten -- praising and thanking God for what He has done is a
sacrifice that we offer to Him
-- under
the Old Testament law, the people of Israel were required to offer specific
sacrifices to God periodically -- these included sacrifices for sin --
sacrifices for the birth of a child -- or sacrifices of thanksgiving for
something God had done in their lives
-- because
of the way worship has evolved the years, we tend to approach worship passively
now -- just look around you -- the setting of the church encourages passivity
-- the congregation sits in pews focused at the front -- just like you were
audience at a concert or play or movie -- and it implies that all the action
takes place up here -- and that your role is just to view it and enjoy it --
this is especially true in larger churches where there is less interaction
between the worship team and the congregation
-- but
that's not what God intended our worship to look like -- our worship should be
both corporate and personal -- when we come to church on Sunday, we should be
approaching it as an offering to God -- we should come in reverence and awe and
offer up our whole being in praise and thanksgiving as a living sacrifice to
God
-- worship
on Sunday morning should be a time when we come together as one body and one
people and tell God, "Here we are -- we are yours -- do with us as You
will -- because of everything that You have done, we offer ourselves to You --
we are fully and wholly Yours"
-- when we
come together to worship, the sole question on our minds and in our hearts
should be, "How can I praise God today? How can I experience God
today?" -- we should always come to church as active participants -- not
passive observers
-- however,
this final spiritual habit is not just reserved for Sunday mornings -- it is to
be a way of life -- we should be constantly thanking and praising God with our
voices and with our hearts and with our actions
-- Terry
Tekyll, the author of "The Presence-Driven Church," says that we
should make a practice of singing hymns to God throughout the day -- as we
drive from place to place -- as we go about our daily activities -- because
when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God, our souls draw near to Him and He
draws near to us
-- the
lives of the spiritual giants that we know and read about are characterized by
times of praise and thanksgiving -- just look at the Psalms -- just read
through Paul's epistles -- and you'll see passage after passage where they cry
out to God in praise and thanksgiving
-- praise
and thanksgiving energize our walk with God and keeps the focus of our life on
Him -- that's why this is the third habit of highly effective spiritual people
VI. Closing
-- a few
years ago, the contemporary Christian band Barlow Girls had a song called “Beautiful
Ending” that asked the question, "At the end of my life, will it be
beautiful?"
-- that’s a
great question -- at the end our lives -- when it’s all said and done and we
look back over a lifetime of walking with God, what will we see?
-- will we
see random circles and broken promises? -- will we see lives that look like a
rollercoaster -- with many ups and downs and no consistencies? -- will we see lives
that failed to accomplish great things for God?
-- or, will
our lives be beautiful? -- will they have been effective and successful? --
will the way we have lived and the people we have become made a difference in
the lives of someone else?
-- that is
our goal with the three habits of highly effective spiritual people -- to live lives
pleasing to God -- to end our lives well -- to make who we are and what we have
done something that made a difference here and in eternity -- to stand before
the throne of God and have Jesus say to us, "Well done, good and faithful
servant"
-- this
week -- as we begin 2019 together -- my challenge to you is to think about
these three spiritual habits and to compare them to your lives right now -- are
you living your life to its fullest potential? -- are you actively living out
these three spiritual habits in your life? -- and, if not, will you make
whatever changes you need to move forward with Christ?
-- let us pray
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