Welcome to worship at Christ Lutheran today.  We're continuing our series on Life's Healing Choices and those of you who are orderly and precise will notice that this Healing Choice does not have one of Jesus' beatitudes connected with it and that we're going to be talking about Healing Choice #7 before we've dealt with Healing Choice #6. And so you need to know that Pastor John was going to preach on #6 this week, but that new grandson of his didn't know about our plan. So we hope you'll be flexible as we look at these a bit out of order. It also means that you're going to have to wait another week to hear part two of Pastor's John story about those ducks. So this will be a lesson in patience. But most important--- congratulations to Pastor John and Grace, and to Abby and Aaron as they welcome Ty Christopher into their family.

 

Life's Healing Choices-- #7 Maintaining Momentum--The Growth Choice

 

Maintaining Momentum--those of you who are skiers know that one of the slopes on the mountain is called "Momentum". You can really get up some steam and carry your momentum a long way on that run. But it has some ups and downs and in some snow conditions you have to really be sure to keep your momentum if you don't want to slide back down the humps. And you have to keep momentum when we talk about making these healing choices also. 

 

You may have found that already. This is our sixth week in our series and maybe you found that you made some good progress at the beginning but now you've slid back and you're wondering "what's the use?" Or you've lost momentum and you're getting frustrated.

 

You're not alone. Think of those disciples who went along with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane while he prayed. He asked them to keep watch, and when he came back they were sleeping. He asked them a second time and when he came back again-- same result! Like those disciples we try and fail and try and fail. But we can't let those failures change our purpose and direction. For these last 6 weeks we've been focusing on those healing choices that we need to make. We've been working with God's help to make some changes. We've been moving in the right direction, but it's hard to keep it going and hard to stay on course.

 

St Paul wrote to the Galatians (5:7)--"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?"

 

Who or what has cut in on you and me to slow us down or knock us off course? We each have different answers to that question, but often the biggest problem is that we think that we're running a 50 yard dash when actually life is a marathon.

 

I have a friend who runs marathons-- 26 miles start to finish. I can’t even begin to imagine doing that. Sometimes we would ride mountain bikes and we'd go 10 or 12 miles on trails through the woods. And I thought --Wow! I'm keeping up with him! Then I found out he would ride 20 or 30 miles by himself before we would ride! But that's how you have to train if you're going to run a marathon. 

 

There aren't many of us who are likely to run a marathon. But we all live a marathon--day after day after day. I've lived almost 21,000 days. We have to realize that we're going to have lots of ups and downs. But the key to minimize those down times is to learn to keep momentum when things are going well.

 

That's why choice #7 is called--Maintaining Momentum--The Growth Choice. We want to keep moving forward, keep growing, because when you stop growing, you start dying.

 

The first way we make the Growth Choice is by this commitment:

 

I reserve a daily quiet time with God for self-examination, Bible
reading and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain
the power to follow his will.

 

Spiritual growth is a choice. And remember that all these choices we've talked about are only possible because through Christ, God has chosen you. God's choice of you and love for you has made change possible. 

Today we’re going to look at how to continue your growth, how to maintain the momentum God started and you joined in on. 

 

How do I maintain my momentum? How do I complete the course and finish the race? The Bible tells us there are basic things that we need to do to continue in the faith.

 

First--I need to set a daily time with the Lord.

 

That means you write it in ink. You say, "this is going to be my time with the Lord on a daily basis." All through Scripture we’re taught that you have to be connected with God in order to be healthy. In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 

Early in my life as a pastor that daily time with the Lord was very flexible. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, sometimes at home, sometimes at church. And sometimes it was so flexible it didn't happen at all. I found that while there were times that flexibility was needed, that it also prevented from me from making that daily time with the Lord as important and regular as mealtime.

 

I had to find a time that I could reserve every day. And so I decided I would get up a bit earlier each day. Now I'm not one of those people who wake up easily.    But that's OK because then before my mind gets to thinking about all the things to juggle that day, I take time to read the Bible and to pray, asking God to direct my day, to teach me what I need to learn and to ask the Lord to care for the people and situations that need his blessing and help.

 

Before the day starts rushing at me, I've spent time with the Lord to get me ready to handle it all. You have to find the time that works best for you. Schedules and family situations differ so it may take some trial and error to find your best pattern. But it is worth the effort. When something gets in the way and I don't start off the day that way, I'll wonder why things don't seem quite right. Sometimes I'm a slow learner.

 

And busyness is no excuse. Martin Luther began each day with an hour of time for reading and prayer. And he was asked what he would do about that hour if he had an especially busy day. He said for a busy day, he would need to prepare by spending 2 hours in prayer.

 

You can start with just a few minutes. But I think you'll discover that you will want that time to grow. 

 

Why is this so important? Why does quiet time spent with God matter? You notice I say "quiet" time. Obviously, all our time is spent in God's presence. He's always with us. But because he doesn't often overwhelm us with his presence, it's in the quiet times when we are most open to his word, his guiding hand and his healing.

 

Beyond that, taking this time matters because time spent together and focused on the other is essential in any relationship. If you don’t spend time with your husband or your wife, you’re going to feel disconnected. Even if you're in the same place often, but not focused on each other, you start feeling distant. If your marriage feels kind of dried up or there’s no joy, it’s likely because you’re not spending real time together. And if you don’t spend time with your husband or wife, you’re not going to grow closer.

 

That’s true with God. It’s true with any relationship. You have to spend time with God in order to be close to him, to feel his love, to sense his presence in your life.

 

There is no doubt that it's hard to be consistent in our daily time with God. Because everything fights against it. Because the evil one knows if he can keep you disconnected from Christ, you’re worthless. You have no power. You have no strength against his temptations. 

 

And an integral part of time with God is this next point---

 

If I'm going to make it to the finish line in this marathon called life, I must fill my mind with God's Word.

 

You know, if you go without food you start feeling a little weak. You go a little bit longer, your mind starts getting a little fuzzy. 

 

The same is true with God’s Word. It is the food for your soul. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

This is as necessary to your soul as food is to your body. If you don’t get this Word into your soul, you’re going to start feeling lethargic and weak. You’ve got to have the Word of God in your heart. 

 

Whatever you put into your body and into your mind is what’s going to come out. The computer experts call that GIGO – garbage in, garbage out. Whatever you put into the computer is what’s going to come out. It can’t work better than the programming.

 

The same is true in your heart and in your mind. You put garbage in your mind – and there’s plenty of it out there – that’s what’s going to come out in your life. If you put God's word in your mind, that’s what’s going to come out in your life and personality.  

 

Years ago I got to know a man who was a pilot who had been shot down in Vietnam and spent 7 years as a POW. I asked him how he could keep his sanity for all those years and he said that there were several of the POWs who grew up as Christians. And they shared verses from hymns and Bible passages that they remembered. He said it was the word of God that saved them--being able to bring that word to mind and realize that while they were captive physically, they were free in mind and spirit. After returning home for several, he came down with inoperable cancer and he said that the same was true then--that while he was captive to the cancer that by God's word in Christ, he was free in mind and spirit.

 

His mind was filled with the strength and goodness of God's word. What do we fill our minds with?

 

You get all the stuff from the world. Newspaper, TV, radio--so much bad news. You’ve got thoughts from your past that you never dealt with. And all of it rolls around in your mind creating negativity and depression.

 

The only way to change that mental pattern is what the Bible says in Romans 12:1-2 “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” How do you renew your mind? Put more positive content in than negative. Fill your mind with the Word of God.

 

And--To keep on growing, I have to focus on my positive goal, not my
negative habit.

 

When I say habit, I’m talking about those hurts, hang-ups, those sins, those weaknesses, the failures. The things in your life that you don’t like.  What I’m saying is, if you want to grow you have to focus on what you want, not what you don’t want. 

 

Why is this so important? Because that's the way our minds work--- whatever you focus on, whatever gets your attention, attracts you. It pulls you. There’s a natural pulling when you focus on something. It’s whatever gets your attention, you tend to move towards.

 

Obviously you don’t move toward things that don’t have your attention. Then you need to choose to make sure your attention is toward good things, not bad things. You’ve got to change your mind. 

 

You hear the idea that getting over your hurts and hang-ups means focusing on the past. And some of that can help. But you can't stay there for long.

Your past is past.  Your past influences you, but your past does not define you. It’s over. What matters today is not your past. What matters today is what direction your feet are headed right now. 

 

So what do you do? You focus on your goal not your habits. You have to focus on your positive goal, not your negative habit.

 

I want to encourage you to set one goal today. One spiritual goal in your life. Maybe you decide you’re going to do it by Easter. Maybe your goal is to have a quiet time every day between now and Easter. That’s a measurable goal.

 

And when you do lose sight of your goal and that will happen, you will lose momentum at times, then you have to learn that-----

 

I have to face my failures quickly and put them behind me.

 

You’re going to stumble in life. But the key is not trying to live a perfect life. The key is to face and forsake my failures quickly. I don’t cover them up and I don’t blame others and I don’t excuse myself and I own up to it. 

 

And the quicker the better--for you and anyone you've hurt.   

 

You don’t beat yourself up, you don’t tear yourself down. You say, “God forgive me.  I dropped the ball and the string unwound a little bit. But I’m going to pick it up and I’m going to wind it up again. I’m going to focus on the future and not on the past. 

 

But if I’m going to make it to the finish line, I also need to learn that--

 

I have to flee temptation but I don't fear it.

So many people when they’re tempted get all intimidated by it. Like I shouldn’t even be tempted. Oh, yes you will.  Don’t feel guilty about temptation. It’s not a sin to be tempted. It’s a sin to give in to temptation. 

 

Hebrews 4:15 says about Jesus--
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

 

That means Jesus experienced every temptation known to man. Every one of them. But he didn’t give in to it. Temptation is not a sin. It’s what you do with it that matters. 

 

When God gives you an idea, we call it inspiration. You’re inspired. His Spirit is in you. When the devil gives you an idea, we call it temptation. Don’t be intimidated by temptation. 

 

Martin Luther said, “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” 

 

There are two things you need to stay away from: tempting situations and tempting associations. Tempting situations – stay away from circumstances. And tempting associations – stay away from people that tempt you. As Rick Warren says, "If you don’t want to get stung you stay away from the bees."

 

If I'm going to make it to the finish line, if I'm going to keep
growing, I must have the support of Christ's people.

There are two reasons why you need to be close to Christ's people. First, is prayer, and second, encouragement.

 

You need people praying for you. You need a small group to support you in the things that you need prayer for. And you need to pray for others. 

 

You also need encouragement. Belonging to one of our small groups at Christ Lutheran, working together in the kitchen or on the grounds, being a part of FISH or LOGOS. Being here each week for worship or coffee cup fellowship. Staying in touch with friends by phone when you're unable to get out. We all need the encouragement of Christ's people.

 

And lastly we need to-----Follow Christ to the finish line.

 

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

So go with Christ's peace---keep up the momentum and keep running the race!

 

Amen.