C. BOSTIAN DEVELOPING A POSITIVE NEW YEAR 1/1/06
Philip. 3:10-17 (MsgB)
I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know
Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his
suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. [11] If there was any
way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. [12] I'm
not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on
my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. [13]
Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of
this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to
Jesus. [14] I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. [15] So let's keep
focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of
you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will
clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! [16] Now that we're on the right
track, let's stay on it. [17] Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you
see running this same course, headed for this same goal.
ILL. Have you heard about the man who moved into a
retirement community to spend the rest of his life there? It wasn’t long until
he had made a number of friends among the other residents. There was one lady
he was especially attracted to, & she was attracted to him, also. So they
spent a lot of time together. Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to
marry him. The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but he
couldn’t remember her answer. So he went to her & said, "I’m really
embarrassed. I proposed to you last night but I can’t remember if you said
`Yes’ or `No."’ "Oh, thank goodness!" she replied. "I remembered
saying `Yes’ but I couldn’t
remember
who asked me."
Sometimes I feel that way about New Year’s
resolutions. I tell myself, "This year I’m going to turn over a new leaf.
I’M GONNA PRAY MOR AND I’M READ MY BIBLE MORE. I’m going to exercise regularly & lose
weight. I’m going to do all kinds of things to improve myself physically &
spiritually." But then somehow I forget. Maybe you have
that
problem, too.
So this year I have a suggestion for a New Year’s
resolution that we ought to be able to remember. It is kind of broad & very
general, but here it is - let’s promise ourselves & God that we will make a
change for the better. This year, as God’s people, as His church, let’s make
this one simple resolution - we’re going to make a change for the better. And
to help us do that, let me suggest some ways in which we can make a change for
the better.
I. DEVELOP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK TOWARD LIFE
There is an old story about a happy little boy who
went out into the field wearing a baseball cap. In one hand he carried a
baseball, & in the other a baseball bat. His face bore a look of tremendous
confidence.
Cocking his bat, he tossed the ball into the air, saying, "I’m the
greatest batter in the world!" Then he swung & missed. "Strike
one," he said. He picked up the ball, examined it, & then threw it
into the air again. As he swung, he repeated, "I’m the greatest batter in
the world." Once again he missed. "Strike two," he said.
This time, he stopped to examine his bat to make sure there wasn’t a hole in
it. Then he picked up the ball, adjusted his cap, & tossed the ball into
the air for the 3rd time. He repeated
again, "I’m the greatest batter in the world," & swung with all
his might - & missed for the 3rd straight time. "Wow" he cried,
"I’m the greatest
pitcher
in the world!"
Positive
Having or showing a mind free from doubt <I'm positive that this is the right direction
Optimism
From Latin optimum, noun, best, from neuter of optimus best; akin
to Latin ops power
An inclination to put the most favorable
construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome
A. First of all, each of us can make a change for the better by developing a
positive outlook toward life.
ILL. A few years ago a lady committed suicide, leaving behind this note.
"I decided that unless life was worth living I would just quit
living." How do you feel about your
life? Is it worthwhile? Or, let’s change the question. What would it take for
you to feel that your life is worthwhile? What would have to happen to make you
feel really positive about your life? COULD IT BE If you won the lottery, would
that do it? If your marriage suddenly was all patched up, would that do it? If
your kids began to make you proud, or if you got a promotion, would that do it?
What would it take for you to really feel positive
about
your life?
Now if that’s the way you’re thinking then you’ll probably never feel really
positive about life because all the little pieces that must come together to
make you positive about life will probably never be there. POSITIVE CIRCUMSTANCES
DO NOT PRODUCE THE FOUNDATION OF A
POSITIVE
LIFE.
B. That is the reason I have selected Philippians 3:12-14 as our text this
morning. But before I read it to you, you need to realize that Paul is in
prison, chained to a Roman guard, under horrible conditions. Yet despite that,
he writes these wonderfully positive words, "Not that I have already
obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take
hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not
consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind & straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal
to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Now stop for a moment & ask yourself, "What is Paul trying to grab
hold of?" Paul tells
POWER
OF ATTAINMENT.
Galatians 6:10 (KJV)
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Ephes. 5:14-20 (MsgB)
Wake
up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!
[15] So watch your step. Use your head. [16] Make the most of every chance you
get. These are desperate times!
[17]
Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master
wants. [18] Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the
Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. [19] Sing hymns instead of drinking songs!
Sing songs from your heart to Christ. [20] Sing praises over everything, any
excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Ephes. 5:14-17 (KJV)
Wherefore
he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall
give thee light. [15] See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as
wise, [16] Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. [17] Wherefore be ye
not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
"Become a Possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or
actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities—always see them, for
they're always there." ~ Norman Vincent Peale
Mark 10:27 (KJV)
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is
impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
WHY IS IT WHEN DIFFICUTLIES ARISE WE ALWAYS SEE JUST
HOW IMPOSSIBLE THE SITUATION APPEARS? IF
WE TRULY POSSESS A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE WE WILL IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES OF GOD TO PROVIDE FOR US IN ANY
SITUATION. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WHAT
IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH MAN IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD.
THE WORD POSSIBLE IS TAKEN FROM THE GREEK WORD WHICH MEANS POWER. GOD HAS THE POWER TO MAKE ANYTHING
HAPPEN. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS: THAT
IF GOD IS FOR US THEN WHO CAN BE AGAINST US.
HE THAT SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON HOW SHALL HE NOT ALSO WITH HIM FREELY
GIVE US ALL THINGS TO ENJOY.
Mark 9:23 (KJV)
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all
things are possible to him that believeth.
JESUS
SAID, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE. BELIEVING IN THE POSSIBILITIES OF GOD IS THE KEY TO A
POSITIVE OUTLOOK IN LIFE. YOU SEE
BELIEVING ISN’T FAITH ITS JUST GIVING MENTAL ASSENT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF
SOMETHING. IF WE CAN CHANGE THE WAY WE
THINK ABOUT OUR PROBLEMS WE CAN TURN THEM INTO SOMETHING POSITIVE IN OUR LIFE. THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT OUR SITUATION OFTEN
DETERMINES OUR ATTITUDE.
Philip. 1:6 (MsgB)
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind
that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it
to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
Philip. 1:12-21 (MsgB)
I want to report to you, friends, that my
imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being
squelched, the Message has actually prospered. [13] All the soldiers here, and
everyone else too, found out that I'm in jail because of this Messiah. That
piqued their curiosity, and now they've learned all about him. [14] Not only
that, but most of the Christians here have become far more sure of themselves
in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah.
[15] It's true that some here preach Christ because with me out of the way,
they think they'll step right into the spotlight. But the others do it with the
best heart in the world. [16] One group is motivated by pure love, knowing that
I am here defending the Message, wanting to help. [17] The others, now that I'm
out of the picture, are merely greedy, hoping to get something out of it for
themselves. Their motives are bad. They see me as their competition, and so the
worse it goes for me, the better—they think—for them. [18] So how am I to
respond? I've decided that I really don't care about their motives, whether
mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is
proclaimed, so I just cheer them on! And I'm going to keep that celebration
going [19] because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful
prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he
wants to do in and through me will be done. [20] I can hardly wait to continue
on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary,
everything happen-ing to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more
accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up;
they gave me a pulpit! [21] Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his
bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose.
WOW,
TALK ABOUT A GUY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK
ON LIFE. HERE PAUL IS IN PRISON FOR THE
TESTIMONY OF CHRIST. HE IS CHAINED HAND
AND FOOT TO A ROMAN SOLDIER. BUT INSPITE
OF HIS DIRE SITUATION HE FINDS AN
YOU SEE, People
with positive attitudes view situations differently from those with negative
attitudes. Here are some general statements. Think about how you would respond
to them:
·
In times of uncertainty, I usually expect the best.
·
In times of uncertainty, I usually expect the worst.
·
I look on the bright side of things.
·
I look on the dark side of things.
·
I hardly ever expect things to go my way.
·
I do not always expect things to go my way. When they do not, I try
to learn something from the experience INSTEAD OF JUST FEELING SORRY FOR
MYSELF.
Attitudes can even be
detected in the words we use. For example, "I won't," indicates
choice, whereas "I can't" indicates powerlessness.
Our attitudes develop from
the time we are children. It is difficult for pessimists to change overnight.
One way to start developing a more positive attitude is through "thought
stopping." Start by noticing your attitude in various situations to see if
you have a more negative or a more pessimistic view.
The next time you are thinking or saying a
pessimistic comment, picture a big, red STOP sign stopping the negative
thought. Then replace that thought, or the statement, with a more positive or
optimistic statement.
C. The world says that the way to feel good about
yourself is by climbing the ladder of success - by making a lot of money - by
having influential friends - by receiving a
But the Bible teaches us that we are to feel good about ourselves because God
loves us. You are such a treasured person in God’s sight that He gave His only
Begotten Son for you. That makes you valuable, & you can feel good about
yourself.
ILL. Frank Peretti said, "It’s no wonder that our young people today have
poor self images when they go to school & read books that tell them that
they are the products of blind chance - that they are just accidents of nature
- unplanned, unloved, & unwanted."
But the Bible tells us that we are wanted & loved & cared for by God
Himself.
ILL. Jim Volvono(?spelling)was head coach of the N.C. basketball team. He rose
to fame when his team started winning championships. Everybody liked him. He
was always cracking jokes & had
But in 1991 Volvono learned that he had inoperable bone cancer. During
Christmas time, 1992, he said, "It’s difficult to be thankful this
Christmas because I’m not sure I’ll be here next Christmas." And he
wasn’t. He died in 1993. "But," he said, "this Christmas I’m
getting down on my knees & thanking God for every day of the 46 years of my
life."
He was positive about life because he realized that life is a very precious gift
God has given us. It must sadden the Lord that oftentimes we take this gift He
has given, & don’t treasure it for the precious thing that it is.
II. DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH
Secondly, I think we need to have a positive attitude toward the church. I
don’t say this in a self-serving way at all because one thing that is right
about the church is that our desire is simply to lift up Jesus, to reach out to
a lost & dying world with the message of salvation. Yet, at times I hear
people criticizing the church.
A. For instance, someone says, "The church costs too much." We are
always worrying about how much something costs.
ILL. In John 12 there is an interesting account of something that happened as
Jesus ate with His disciples. If you remember, a woman brought a jar filled
with expensive perfume & broke it & anointed his feet with the perfume.
Immediately Judas Iscariot & some of the disciples criticized the waste,
saying that the perfume should have been sold & the money given to the poor.
But Jesus defended her, saying, "She has done what she could for my
burial."
You see, we have a different value system than the world. The world would
consider something waste that we consider valuable. The world thinks you’re
wasting your time going to church. You wanted to hear about God & Jesus
Christ, & the world thinks that’s a waste.
ILL. When the world looks at your tax return & sees that you gave away 10
or 15 or 20% of your income to build the
But the things the world calls wasteful today are probably the only things that
will last for all eternity. Remember, when the woman poured the perfume on His
feet, Jesus said, "Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,
what she has done will also be told in memory of her."
B. Now we need to understand that when we risk something for God we could lose.
We have won the big
But I would rather be trying something great for God & fail than be playing
it safe & succeed.
ILL. John Wesley was a great English preacher of the 1700’s. He was considered
a rather spiffy dresser. One Sunday morning he wore a bow tie that had long
ribbons that hung downward. After the sermon was over a lady walked up to him
& said, "Brother Wesley, are you open to some criticism?"
He said, "I guess so. What would you like to criticize?" She said,
"The ribbons on your tie are entirely too long & inappropriate for a
man of God." And she took out her scissors & cut them off.
A hush fell over the people standing there as Wesley calmly asked, "Now
may I borrow the scissors for a moment?" As she handed them to him, he
said, "Ma’am, are you open to some criticism?" She answered,
"Well, I suppose I am." He said, "All right then, please stick
out your tongue."
In Ephesians 4:15 Paul says, "We need to speak the truth in love." We
need to make sure it is the truth but we also need to be sure that we are
speaking it in the spirit of love. So we need to develop a positive attitude
towards the church.
III. DISPLAY A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS
A. Thirdly, we need to display a positive attitude toward others.
ILL. Robert Schuller wrote, "It would amaze us how many people we could
influence for Christ if we would just treat people nicely." I think he is
right.
This is a hard world, a world that doesn’t always exercise courtesy. Sometimes
it’s a dog-eat-dog world. People are jockeying for positions on the freeways
& in their companies, & they’re filled with all kinds of stress &
anxiety.
But the church must be a place where we all can come & be accepted &
loved & encouraged & built up - a place where there are people to help
us carry our burdens & everyone feels welcome.
ILL. One of the things about Central that I really appreciate is that when I
call on people, they oftentimes tell me, "Everyone was so warm &
friendly in your church. We really felt at home there."
You see, if we treat each other with love then wonderful things will happen for
the
ILL. When Terry Bradshaw was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame he
mentioned other players who had played with him & said, "This honor
would mean nothing to me at all if I didn’t have people like that who loved
me."
CONCL. People need people. Someone wrote a song about that. But more than that
people need positive people - a constant positive influence in life.
Maybe that more than any other ought to be your new year’s resolution this year
- A change for the better. "I’m going to be positive as I look at my life.
I’m going to be positive as I look at the church. And I’m going to be positive
as I look at others."
May I suggest to you that as this resolution filters down into every segment of
your life, that this year will be one of the best years you have ever had. And
as you live each day of it, you will get closer & closer to the goal, the
heavenward prize, to be with Jesus.
We are a year closer to heaven than we were this time last year. Everything is
on course, folks. We need to trust the Lord & love Him - to place our lives
in His hands & allow Him to use us to His glory.
If you are here without Jesus Christ as your Lord & your Savior, then you
have an
