Following Jesus in 2015.

Steve Gentry

[0:03] Alright, go ahead and have a seat. [0:06] This is your first time here. [0:08] Welcome to Village Church. [0:09] My name is Steve. [0:09] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:12] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to Matthew chapter 13.

[0:16] That’s where we’ll be camping out for most of the morning. [0:19] Two things before we get going here. [0:22] First is that in the first Sunday of February, we will be going to different service times. [0:29] We’re going to have services at 8.45 and 10.30. [0:33] So, over the next few weeks, prepare yourself. [0:36] I know it’s tough to change that alarm clock.

[0:39] But talk to it over the next few weeks. [0:41] Explain to it what it’s going to experience on Sundays. [0:45] On the first Sunday of February, we’re going to have new service times, 8.45 and 10.30. [0:50] That’ll be a change from the 9 and 11. [0:52] Those services will no longer exist. [0:54] I’m just trying to be really clear as to what the service times are actually going to be.

[0:57] First Sunday in February. [1:00] So, the questions that I know are still going to come, maybe won’t come. [1:04] But our new service times are going to be 8.45 and 10.30. [1:09] The first Sunday in February. [1:11] So, be prepared for that. [1:12] Secondly, I just want to praise God for a moment.

[1:15] We waited until after the first of the year to finish our tally. [1:19] But on the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, our yearly offering for international missions, [1:23] we as a church, I want to praise God and thank you that we were able to raise [1:27] over $21,000 for international missions. [1:31] Yeah, give God a hand at our Christmas Eve, Eve service, and then we’ll came in afterwards as well. [1:37] But that is money that’s going to be 100% spent in reaching people all over the world

[1:42] with the gospel of Jesus Christ, many of whom have never heard the name of Jesus. [1:47] And so, I am excited that we as a church are going to be able to take part in what God’s [1:52] doing all over the world with the blessings that God has given us. [1:56] Thank you so much for me and everyone else and everyone at the International Mission Board as [2:01] well. But it’s the new year, it’s 2015, and I know most of you probably made some type of [2:09] New Year’s resolution this year. There’s probably a couple of you that don’t like that idea,

[2:14] and so you resolved to not resolve to do anything, but even in that you made a resolution to not be [2:21] about anything. And so I think having resolve in your life or making resolutions towards things [2:28] in your life, I actually think that that’s a healthy thing to do. I think it’s a healthy [2:33] thing to have in your life. The other option is just to drift through life, [2:40] never putting any effort towards anything, and when you do that, you get nothing. Resolutions, [2:46] though, can also be dangerous things. They can really reveal to us our deepest,

[2:54] what the scripture would call, idolatry. And to explain what that means, I want you just [2:59] for a moment to consider. Think about whatever you’ve resolved to do this year, whatever your [3:04] resolution has been about, and consider that on December 31st, 2015, so a little less than a year [3:11] from now, you’re looking back on your year. And imagine that you actually kept every single one [3:19] of your resolutions. You probably won’t, so this is strange, but imagine that you do. [3:25] Imagine every commitment that you made on January 1st or December 31st, you kept the commitment,

[3:31] you kept your resolution, and you did it. Whether it’s weight loss, [3:40] whether it’s financial, whether it’s professional, whether it’s social, and those are the four most [3:47] popular New Year’s resolutions. If you kept every resolution that you made, would you then [3:57] have your heaven? Would you have the life that you’ve always wanted? You say, wow, [4:05] they can’t even imagine that would be so amazing, is that I lost all the weight, or I made all the [4:11] money, I paid off all the debt, or I got that raise, or I got that promotion, or I got this

[4:18] power, or I got this fame, or I had that relationship happen in my life, or I gained this [4:25] level of social acceptance. Would that be heaven for you? Is that what heaven looks like to you?

[4:37] That is an idol, or to be more specific, a false god. The true test

[4:48] for your 2015, for your resolutions, for whatever it is that you’re going to be doing, [4:54] is what is motivating you to do the things that you’re going to do, to put forward the actions [5:02] you’re going to put forward, to have the intentionality that you’re going to have in 2015. [5:09] What is motivating each and every one of those things that you are resolved to do, [5:16] and that is what determines what you’re worshiping. Will the things that you have resolved to do [5:29] this year make you lean more heavily into the grace of Jesus? Will you be closer to Jesus

[5:40] by what you do this year? Have you considered that question? This isn’t just about Bible [5:51] reading plans, which I know most of you have started and already fallen behind on, [5:56] even though one of those would probably be helpful in your relationship with Christ. [6:02] This is about what you are striving toward in your life. Is anything that you are intentionally [6:09] taking action on in your life building your life in Jesus Christ, because he’s given us [6:14] in life the clear direction to understand that we exist to bring glory to God by living as those

[6:22] who have been changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is to kind of be the directing force [6:30] in our lives each and every day, with each and every moment, with each and every decision. [6:37] But if I believe the gospel of Jesus, then my greatest resolve will be to live as close to him [6:43] as possible and bring him the glory that I say he deserves. Therefore, everything that I resolve [6:49] to do, every resolution that I make, must be to get me closer to that. And if it doesn’t,

[6:58] then what is it? It is a false God. So whatever you put your hope in, whatever you find your [7:05] satisfaction in, whatever it is that you believe will give you the life that you’ve always wanted, [7:09] that is your God. Because that is what you pour your time, your effort, your energy, [7:14] and your possessions into. How can we measure, though, whether or not our lives are getting [7:24] closer or further away from Jesus? How can we measure that? Can you measure such a thing? [7:30] Because I think we believe it’s somewhat ambiguous. I think we believe it’s somewhat

[7:34] this mystical thing out there that we can’t really measure, but I believe that Jesus has given us [7:39] these indications in Scripture to help us measure these things. And when I’m considering [7:44] how I’m going to follow Jesus in the next year, I find the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 [7:50] to be very helpful. And so join me in reading verse 1. He says, [7:56] That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Great crowds gathered about him, [8:02] so that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the beach.

[8:06] He told them many things in parables, saying, A sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of [8:13] the seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, [8:18] where they did not have much soil. Immediately they sprang up. Since they had no depth of soil, [8:26] when the sun rose, they were scorched. Since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds [8:31] fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil, [8:36] produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.

[8:43] And then skip down with me to verse 18. Jesus tells his disciples, Hear then the parable of [8:49] the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, [8:55] the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This [9:02] is what was sown along the path. You see, Jesus speaks in parables oftentimes, and in the section [9:11] that we didn’t read, the disciples actually came to Jesus and said, Why in the world are you telling [9:14] them such strange stories? And Jesus explains to them, he says, in part, it’s to cloud their

[9:21] understanding. They won’t see specifically what I’m talking about. And then he looks to them and [9:25] he says, But to you it’s been given to understand the things of the kingdom of heaven. And then he [9:30] begins to unfold in verse 18 and forward, specifically what he meant in the parable of the [9:36] sower. And he begins by first talking about seed that’s not really put in soil at all. [9:44] Eugene Peterson writes that he’s speaking of seed that’s just scattered on the road. And when you [9:51] scatter seed on the ground or on cement or on concrete or on pavement or whatever it be,

[9:56] it’s just food for the birds. And so the birds just come down and they eat the seed up. And Jesus [10:01] says, This is representative, understand, I’m telling you an allegory, I’m giving you an analogy [10:05] right here, that this is what happens when my gospel, the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, [10:10] the gospel of Jesus Christ, when it is spoken to those who do not believe, it never takes any root [10:17] in their life. And Satan comes and he takes it away from them because they have no understanding, [10:22] so he doesn’t want it to dwell there. The key phrase that he uses in that text is that they do

[10:32] not understand it. The key for you to understand how to follow Jesus in 2015 is found in that [10:41] phrase. I believe it is found in understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ. You know, number one this [10:46] morning is that the central issue of every day is your worship of Jesus. Friend, what motivates [10:56] your life? What motivates the actions that you take? What motivates the emotions that you feel? [11:04] What motivates the effort that you put forward in something? What’s the motivation behind the [11:12] resolutions that you’ve made about this new year? You see, every minute of every day, every one of us

[11:19] is worshiping something. Whatever it is that we think we’re going to find hope in, whatever it [11:24] is that we think we’re going to find satisfaction in, that is what we’re pouring our life into, [11:29] therefore, that is what it is that we are worshiping. We must resolve to have all of our [11:40] understandings of life, all of our values, all of our motivations guided by the truth of who Jesus is. [11:48] That’s what he’s getting us at. You see, there’s so much about God that you don’t understand. [11:54] There’s so much that I don’t understand. But the truth of whether I value it or not

[12:01] is seen into the intentionality that I put forward to gaining more understanding.

[12:11] What are you finding your identity in? You see, every day of the coming year, [12:17] you will find your identity in something. You see, we are called as followers of Jesus to base [12:24] how we see ourselves, how we view ourselves, how we view our lives in who Jesus is and what Jesus [12:31] has done. Identity is a funny thing. It’s what you actually base your entire life on, [12:42] who you want to be, who you think you need to be, how you need other people to view you, [12:49] what you need other people to give you, how you use your time, how you look at fame,

[12:56] how you look at success, how you look at your self-esteem. Every single one of those things [13:01] are questions of where your identity is actually found. And everything else in your life is [13:08] determined by that. But trusting Jesus only accepts one identity and pursues a life of [13:16] gaining understanding of him so that you can rid your life of all other identities. See, [13:22] every one of you is shaping your life around something, whether it be a paycheck, whether it [13:28] be a possession, or whether it be a person. You are forming your identity around either the fact

[13:35] that you have those things or you do not have those things. And Jesus came to redeem you [13:45] from all of those. Jesus came to give you a brand new identity. He came to give you something brand [13:52] new to base how you view yourself. Because it’s only Jesus that matters when you trust in the [14:01] true gospel. Otherwise you don’t understand whether you don’t believe the gospel at all or [14:08] you believe a false gospel. If you don’t have the true gospel, then this is where you are. [14:16] See, most of our time is spent looking at the other three types of soil, but the reality is

[14:21] that there is only one fertile soil that we are going to see in the story. All other soils do [14:27] not have the gospel. When you aren’t building your understanding of the gospel, you risk being in [14:35] this camp. The question that you have to deal with in your life is how far do you have to go [14:43] in life building false gods to admit that you actually don’t have real faith in the gospel? [14:54] How many false gods can you pursue in your life? How many false identities can you have in your [15:04] life in those types of pursuits, in that type of existence where you are finding your identity

[15:09] in a plethora of things that have nothing to do with Jesus to finally come to the point where [15:14] you admit, I don’t have Jesus? I have not truly believed the gospel. How you deal with that [15:24] understanding of the gospel will determine how you actually live your life in practical situations. [15:32] That is the next two things Jesus is going to talk about. The first one that he mentions is pain. [15:39] You see, friends, number two this morning, pain must not drive your life. [15:43] Note what he says in verse 20. Jesus says, As for what was sown on the rocky ground,

[15:51] this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no [15:58] root in himself but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account [16:05] of the word, immediately he falls away. You see, the rocky ground simply wants all the troubles of [16:18] life to go away. See, when we understand Jesus as simply being the solution to life’s problems, [16:29] then we will face disappointment that will not endure. See, some come to Jesus because [16:35] they’re dissatisfied with the life that they have or they’re enduring great pain or they’ve

[16:41] got a great ailment or they’ve got great debt or they’ve got great problems in their personal [16:47] life and their relationships. And you come to Jesus as this magic genie who will fix all of those [16:55] issues, who will just simply make all the pain go away. And then you say, Well, I understand the [17:02] gospel a little bit. See, in this section, there’s a little bit of understanding of what Jesus is [17:07] doing, but your application to it is all wrong. And you go back to your life and you still find a mess.

[17:16] Still find the debt, you still find the ailment.

[17:22] You find out that some people like you even less.

[17:29] You see, when you thought that God was just a genie to make all those problems go away, [17:36] see, you weren’t following God at all. You weren’t believing in Jesus. You were just [17:40] believing that he would give you all your false gods by healing all your problems.

[17:47] And while you understood a little, there was no belief in the gospel. There’s a timely phrase [17:55] that Jesus gives us when he says that persecution arises on account of the word. You see, Jesus [18:02] faced this for us on the cross, but warned us that the culture around us would be hostile [18:06] to the gospel. You see, in the gospel, Jesus actually says, When you follow me, you will in [18:13] fact endure more persecution, more pain, more suffering. The demands of trusting Jesus force [18:21] us into a lifestyle that demands we have different values, different goals, different hopes,

[18:27] different plans. The question you’ve got to deal with is, do you desire that because you desire [18:34] God that much or do you shrink back from living differently? You just thought he was going to [18:40] make all your problems go away. And when he didn’t, you’re dealing with great disappointment [18:45] with God. You see, friends, faith keeps moving forward with God because no matter what happens, [18:55] you get God. You see, the great reward of the gospel is God.

[19:04] The great truth of believing the gospel and not believing the gospel is, do you desire God in your [19:12] life? Do you desire to have a relationship with him? Do you want to follow him? Do you see what [19:20] God has done through Jesus and through the cross, through the forgiveness of sins, through rising [19:25] from the dead to give you a new life? And do you say, If that gets me God in my life, then I want [19:31] that because I treasure who God is and I don’t want the barriers between us to be there any longer.

[19:39] Because you see, any other motivation than that is a false gospel.

[19:47] See, the desire for God is not something that happens down the road of discipleship. [19:55] And until then, you just want all the fringe benefits that you think are going to come with [19:59] following Jesus, where you’ve got a cosmic genie to fix all of your problems. [20:06] But the desire for God is the basis of the gospel. [20:11] If there’s no desire for God in your life, then friend, there’s no gospel in your life. [20:18] Because if God is not the foundation of what you want, of what your passion draws you towards,

[20:25] then everything else will be disappointing.

[20:32] You see, some of you have struggled and had great pain in 2014.

[20:39] Some of you will have new pain in 2015. Some of you will continue with the same pain from 2014. [20:50] But the gospel isn’t beautiful because it makes pain go away in this life. [20:57] That’s not what’s beautiful about the gospel. It is beautiful because it explains to me that my pain,

[21:06] excuse me, that in my pain I am so blessed because it acquaints me with the God [21:13] who suffered for my sake. See, friends, I don’t seek pain.

[21:21] But in a world so unprepared, when suffering arrives, the follower of Jesus is prepared.

[21:33] Because on the other side of all suffering is the glory of God. [21:40] In 2 Corinthians, God actually looks at our suffering and says that it is light and momentary [21:47] compared to the glory that we will experience with Him for eternity. [21:50] And we look at that and we’re like, it doesn’t feel very light. It doesn’t feel very momentary. [21:54] It feels pretty hard. It feels pretty heavy. And it feels like it’s dragging on for quite a long time. [22:00] But remember, this is the God that makes the dead to rise.

[22:07] This is the God with that type of power. And He did that through Jesus. And to believe the gospel [22:13] is to believe that that is true and to believe that He has that ability and that type of faith [22:19] can face anything because it looks at life and it says, no matter what happens in this world that [22:24] is full of pain, in this world that is full of suffering, in this world that is full of hardship, [22:29] with a God that says, it is actually going to come into my life. He doesn’t say it’s not going to [22:34] come into my life. He says, actually, when you follow Jesus, it will come. That’s a promise.

[22:40] This is what the way that you meet that head on is the reality that life, even if it takes your very [22:46] breath away.

[22:52] We have a God that breathes life into dead lungs and promises a glorious, painless eternity with [23:02] Him in worship forever.

[23:08] And with that type of faith, you can endure through hard times. You can endure through great pain, [23:13] no matter what you encounter. And I’ll be honest with you, friend, there is no other way to prepare [23:21] yourself for pain. There is no other way to endure through hard times except for the gospel of Jesus [23:28] Christ. Everything else will be found to be counterfeit. Every other thing that you pour your [23:33] hope in, every other identity that you try to put on yourself will be found wanting in the day of [23:39] great trials.

[23:45] Thirdly, this morning, understand that worldly success can take you away from Jesus just as fast [23:53] trials can. Worldly success can take you away from Jesus just as fast as trials can. You see, [24:01] this is where I’m actually concerned for all of us. We are a great scale of the world. We’re [24:13] somewhat very affluent. And what I think our culture struggles with is this third seed. [24:20] Here’s what Jesus says in verse 22. He says, As for what was sown among thorns, this is the [24:27] one who hears the word. But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches

[24:33] choke the word, and it proves our fruitful. This is a text that explains to us that very quickly [24:44] our commitments in this world can tear us away from growing in or even understanding the gospel. [24:52] This is the one who understands a little bit more, maybe who grasps the facts of the gospel [24:59] and says, Well, that sounds like it would give me great gain because it would give me things [25:03] that are better than hell. And then you go into your life and you attempt to put God into the [25:09] life that you’re already building. Because some of you, let’s be honest, you’re very successful.

[25:16] Some of you haven’t really dealt with that much pain in your life.

[25:24] Some of you, the worst day of your week is when they don’t make your latte properly. [25:29] And then you look out and they give you a coupon for a free one next time and they remake it.

[25:34] And you’re like, five minutes, I’ll never get back.

[25:41] Some of you, I don’t know what this would actually look like, or maybe it’s different [25:45] for all of us, but when it comes to financial gain, you’ve got what you may consider enough, [25:51] even though you probably don’t because, well, you just stop getting it if you had enough.

[25:58] Some of you, maybe it has nothing to do with money, but you’ve got the position [26:03] that you’ve always dreamed about having. You’ve got the success professionally. [26:09] Maybe it’s socially. You’ve got the love of your life. You’ve never been more satisfied.

[26:18] Your kids are what you envision them to be. Your job is what you envisioned it would be. [26:22] And then you’ve got it. Or maybe you don’t have it yet. See, I think this is most of us where [26:28] you don’t have it, but you believe you will. And this is your pursuit in life. You have dreams [26:36] and nothing is going to stand in the way of them. And you’re going to work harder. You’re [26:42] going to strive harder. You’re going to work out more to have the perfect body. You’re going to [26:47] work more to gain more pay, or you’re going to work more to get more advancement and get more

[26:52] promotions or more power, or you’re going to be the social center of your life and you’re going [26:58] to make that person love you, or you’re going to make that person like you. You’re going to go [27:03] from good to great. You’ve got all the highly effective habits. I mean, you’ve got everything [27:08] in your life going on right. And you’re saying, I’m not going to be stopped. I’m going to work. [27:13] I’m going to work and I’m going to get everything that I’ve ever wanted.

[27:19] And Jesus, very quickly in that life, is a square peg trying to fit into your round hole.

[27:33] What distracts you, friend, from allegiance to the things Jesus has said you need to commit to?

[27:43] So what will you say yes to that means you’re going to have to say no to something that will [27:58] you’re valuing the kingdom of this world more than you’re valuing the kingdom of God

[28:04] and how you use your time, how you use your effort and energy, and how you use your possessions. [28:13] Reveal that. See, God looks at everything that you were building without him.

[28:23] And he says, why would I be interested in any of that because you did that without me?

[28:32] Why would God be interested in anything that was being done by a person who was dead in their sins? [28:40] You see, when Jesus rose to life from the dead, He rose to give you a new life. He rose to give [28:48] you new standards. And some of you are so intent on doing things that have nothing to do with the [28:56] gospel that you will forsake your allegiance to the gospel to do it. You say, I would never do it. [29:03] And I say, you already are. What are the reasons that you can’t be in community groups? What are [29:13] the reasons that you can’t be in the word? What are the reasons that you don’t have time to pray?

[29:18] What are the reasons that you don’t have time to serve? What are all those reasons? Those are your [29:24] false gods. And they’re choking your understanding of the gospel like the thorns that Jesus talks [29:33] about in this text. And Jesus’ message is, your faith won’t survive because you’ve not truly believed.

[29:47] Dietrich Bonhoeffer remarked about the gospel during World War II, and he said the call of the [29:51] gospel is the call to come and die. Because you get new life. Jesus reorders everything.

[30:03] Friend, do you believe the gospel? Do you treasure Jesus Christ more than the other things in your [30:10] life? If you do, then he will determine your schedule. You will not determine his.

[30:21] Mark 4.19 tells us the same story, but he words it a little differently. It says, [30:27] but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things

[30:34] enter in and choke the word and it proves unfruitful. See friends, it’s not just what you have, [30:43] it’s what you want to have that will choke your faith. And your life will reveal the validity of [30:51] your faith in a world where you are told you need so much. What’s it going to be in 2015 that you [30:59] can be happy if you don’t get it? What’s it going to be in 2015 that you’re going to base [31:06] your satisfaction in? That you’re going to base your happiness in and say, if I don’t get this [31:11] thing, or if I don’t have this person, or if I don’t get that, I’ll be devastated. That is your God.

[31:23] See in Proverbs chapter 30 verse 8, I find great wisdom in what really is a prayer [31:28] and a book about wisdom. It says, remove far from me falsehood and lying. Give me neither poverty [31:34] nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Right, [31:41] give me not poverty, but I want some riches. That’s how I would pray it.

[31:48] Did you understand the first half of that prayer? Of course I don’t want poverty.

[31:56] But this guy says, I don’t want riches either. See this is the prayer of the one who is desiring God. [32:03] What he’s saying is, don’t take so much away that I despise you, or give me so much that I forsake [32:11] and forget you, God. See the important thing about the second half is because that is where [32:19] our treasure is. If we could just have more, our troubles will go away. This text reveals the prayer [32:27] of a person who values God above all. Who says, Father, don’t give me an ounce more than I can [32:35] handle while I’m worshiping you. Don’t give me an ounce more of money if that one dollar would mean

[32:41] that I love you less. See I think we understand the poverty thing. Who would want that?

[32:56] But I think we struggle with saying, God, don’t give me more money

[33:02] than I can afford where my faith is concerned. Faith understands that.

[33:10] Maybe in 2015 you should. See finally this morning, number four, commitment must be driven [33:18] by gospel fruit. Commitment must be driven by gospel fruit. Note how Jesus finishes his [33:27] explanation of the parable in verse 23 where he says, as for what was sown on good soil, [33:32] this is the one who hears the word. Here’s the important key, and understands it.

[33:40] You see this text, verse 23, his explanation is pretty straightforward, so I’m not going to go [33:44] to great lengths to explain this text to you. But what I am going to say is that the difference [33:48] between this and the other three types of soil that was planted is there’s a little bit of a [33:53] different grammar thing going on here where the verbiage is different. On this one, it denotes [33:58] that God sows the seed and then continues to work in the soil so that it grows. It’s a gardening [34:05] metaphor. You don’t just plant and then walk away and see what happens. No, you plant and then you

[34:11] till and then you root it out and then you get rid of the weeds and then maybe put some miracle [34:14] grow on there and maybe you put some of grandma’s cough medicine on there. I don’t know what it is. [34:18] I’m not a gardener, but you just you do what you got to do to grow the fruit. And in this text, [34:22] actually the verbiage used means God continues to work in the soil. And the other three, [34:26] it’s just a verb that says he threw it out there and walked away.

[34:30] God doesn’t continue to work. See, this is the only believer.

[34:36] You see, the other three soils aren’t about being backslidden. [34:40] The other three soils are about people who aren’t followers of Jesus.

[34:48] It says he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold and another 60 and another 30. [34:56] And all that I’ve said thus far, I’ve not really told you what you need to do. [35:01] I realize that. I’ve told you a lot of what not to do. The question I want to deal with in this [35:07] last one is how can you be intentional to follow Jesus in 2015? And I think when you compare this [35:15] text to many other texts throughout the scriptures, we get a lot of great wisdom from the metaphor of [35:19] it means for a plant to grow. How do you get there? Well, first I want to start by explaining

[35:29] to you that slow growth is better growth. Many of you are seeking an emotional high [35:40] that will catapult you into what you think is super spirituality. So you’re saying, [35:46] God, if you really want me to commit, if you really want me to do this, that, [35:50] or the other thing for you, then you will make me feel you a little bit more or you will [35:56] reveal yourself in some way or you will make it clear or you will do this or you will do that. [36:01] You barter, you negotiate, you try to get them to compromise. And in reality, you can’t do that.

[36:07] You can’t put the burden on God because all that you’re doing in that type of prayer, [36:13] all that you’re doing in that type of to jolly, all you’re doing in that type of mentality [36:19] is you’re saying, God, the cross was not enough. Jesus’ sacrifice for my sins, the forgiveness of [36:26] sins, the new life through the resurrection, that is not enough for me to believe you. I need more. [36:32] And then God’s response is clearly, then you just don’t have me. That’s the response of the first [36:37] three soils. But many of you are waiting for that. It won’t come. It won’t. You’re just going to keep

[36:48] waiting. Grace is about comprehending that you don’t have the ability. You don’t have the ability [37:02] to understand God. You don’t have the ability to understand what you need to do. You don’t have the [37:06] ability to please God. You don’t have the ability to get God anything, nor do you have the ability [37:10] to convince God to get you anything. Grace is leaning hard into the life of God, realizing that [37:21] you are completely dependent upon him for absolutely everything. You completely lean on God to work in [37:31] you and through you to change you. There’s no shortcut. There is simply a desire that submits

[37:41] to the master’s way. Whatever he may declare it be. Following Jesus is a marathon. It is not a sprint. [37:51] I’ve seen many attempt to sprint, just to simply fall away.

[37:58] As you grow in knowing him, you will grow in understanding. Many of you quit because it doesn’t [38:06] do anything for you the first day. You tried to pray and all you could think about was what’s for [38:10] lunch. You’re like, well, I’m not going to pray again. I guess I’m just not a prayer. Even though [38:17] it’s a bedrock of Christianity, it’s a way in which God says we lean into his grace. You read [38:21] the scriptures, you get nothing. You say, well, I guess I don’t have the gift of understanding [38:24] scripture even though he says this is a means of grace. This is a means of growing in God.

[38:29] Can I be honest with you? There have been more days in my life when I’ve felt nothing from God [38:33] than when I’ve felt something from God. I think you’re probably the same way.

[38:43] Faith is in those moments when you feel nothing. You still believe everything

[38:50] because you know the problem is not on his side. The problem is on your side. You’re not [38:56] experiencing that glory for eternity yet, but faith continues to hold on.

[39:04] See, I think in this metaphor, I think the analogy of bearing fruit is a perfect metaphor [39:09] to combat your desire for instant gratification because God’s playing the long game, not the [39:17] short game. Over the past few weeks, anytime you come into a new year and anytime you’re starting [39:24] a new year, you’re probably a little bit nostalgic and you’re probably looking forward, making some [39:28] plans. I’ve been really struggling to seek out where do you want me to go in this next year? How [39:33] do you want me to lead your church? How do you want me to grow? How do you want me to follow you

[39:38] in 2015? In my reading, it led me to Psalm 1. In closing today, I just want to read that with you [39:46] and just tell you some things that I wrote down for me and that I believe will lead you to [39:53] understanding what it is to have the fruit of the gospel, what it is to depend on grace, what it is [39:57] to not just look for a shortcut with God, but rather to rest in his grace. In Psalm 1, he writes, [40:04] blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, [40:09] nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. I love that word,

[40:15] his delight. On his law, he meditates day and night. He’s like a tree planted by streams of [40:22] water that yields its fruit in its season. See, yields fruit, Matthew 13. Its leaf does not [40:30] wither and all that he does, he prospers. Matthew 13 analogy again. The wicked are not so, but are [40:39] chaff that the wind drives away.

[40:45] Just a few moments, I want to just give you some bullet points [40:48] to go through that text. Really all I’ve done is reworded what the text actually already says. [40:54] This is my plan for following Jesus in 2015.

[41:01] In Psalm 1, he starts by saying, enter a path that leads to Jesus every day.

[41:10] Every single day. I don’t want to endure a day apart from him, apart from thinking about him, [41:19] apart from learning about him, pouring my affections into things that have nothing to do with him.

[41:28] Then he fleshes that out, I think, is what that looks like. First, he actually says, [41:35] doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, well he’s saying, don’t follow the advice of an [41:38] believing world. You see, many of you are lifting your life up and looking at success by the [41:47] standards of those who don’t trust Jesus. And then you say at the end of that day, [41:52] why don’t I have more of Jesus? And well, it’s because you’re following a system of life [41:56] where Jesus isn’t. It’s been given to you by those who don’t follow Jesus, don’t trust Jesus,

[42:02] don’t find their wisdom in Jesus. And then he says, don’t live in environments of those who [42:10] don’t trust Jesus. Don’t walk in the path of sinners. See, I’m not talking about evangelism [42:19] here because evangelism is where we take this good news and we enter into those environments [42:23] with the purpose, the sole purpose of bringing the gospel of Jesus to those who don’t yet have [42:28] it. But many of us have actually set our lives up so that we’re just constantly committed to [42:32] environments where we’re gaining our wisdom, we’re gaining our understanding, we’re gaining

[42:36] our logic, we’re gaining our community with people who don’t trust in Jesus. We have no discipleship.

[42:44] I don’t want to live in those environments. I want to live in environments so that I can [42:50] grow in my faith. So that I can engage in environments that don’t have it. [42:55] I mean, it says don’t sit in the seat of scoffers. It means don’t live in resentment [43:01] of those who are growing in Jesus simply because you’re not growing in Jesus.

[43:08] Don’t look at those who are striving to follow Jesus

[43:14] and scoff at them, nitpick at them. Don’t be a hater to those who are following Jesus.

[43:26] Build a whole life. Resolve for health in every area of your life but seek to be motivated by a [43:37] desire for God in all of your pursuits. See, when you see that person who’s actually growing in [43:45] faith, who’s actually trying to work it out, albeit unimperfect, but they’re trying, they’re [43:51] growing, they’re more mature than you are. Rather than scoffing, maybe you should go to them and [43:57] say, disciple me. Help me. And then when they explain to you how, do it. Do it.

[44:16] We receive so much advice that if we would just listen to God’s prompting of the Holy Spirit [44:21] through mature believers, we would grow, but we refuse. And instead to hide our humiliation that [44:31] we’re sinning, we scoff. Then he gets to this amazing statement. Here’s what he means when [44:43] he’s talking about the law of the Lord. Bathe yourself in the Bible. Bathe yourself in the

[45:02] Bible. And then you’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able to see the [45:16] truth. You’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re [45:17] going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able [45:19] to see the truth. You’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able to see the [45:21] truth. You’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re [45:25] going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able to see the truth. You’re going to be able

[45:30] to see the truth. This is what you need to soak your life in. He says, I delight in your law. I [45:38] meditate on it day and night. What he’s saying, what the Psalmist is saying, when you scoff, [45:44] when people say, go to the Scriptures, you’re disagreeing with God himself in Psalm 1.

[45:50] Well, God says, do you want to know me? This, the Bible is grace.

[46:01] Because it is a God whom we do not deserve to know reaching into our world saying, [46:08] here is what I am about. You can know God. You have it.

[46:21] You see, some of us, we get things backwards. Prayer is hard, especially when you don’t know God.

[46:35] I mean, it’s hard to talk to anybody you don’t know. It’s awkward.

[46:40] Friends, if you want your prayer life to grow, I submit to you, then you need to bathe yourself [46:46] in this. I’m not talking about just reading through it. It says meditate. That means you [46:52] let it saturate your pores. You marinate in the Word. You consider what the Word says. You live [46:59] in the Bible. If you would commit this next year to living in this text above everything else that [47:05] you do, you will grow. You will. He gives us the metaphor of a seed that grows into a tree. [47:18] This is where Jesus is getting. When you grow in understanding through committing to environments

[47:25] that God instructs us to move toward, faith blossoms. Note that when he says you delight in [47:32] his Word, meditate on it. You become like a tree that’s planted directly beside a stream.

[47:40] More plant metaphors. I think it’s very interesting. Do you know that the roots grow deeper

[47:48] when a tree is directly beside a stream? The trees are healthier. The reason being is that [47:53] 24 hours a day, they are connected to sustenance. They’re connected to the life-giving source of [48:00] the water. The scripture says right here in Psalm 1 that that needs to be what we are. We don’t just [48:06] come into God’s presence, go out of God’s presence. We plant ourselves deeply beside the stream of his [48:12] life. We kneel down and we drink and we drink and we drink and we do not get up. We stay there. [48:19] Too often, many of us have attempted to grow in God by taking a bucket, going to the stream of life,

[48:24] filling it up, and then walking back to the life that we’ve already got going on, trying to pour [48:29] water around the tree of our life because we’re not by the stream. We don’t really want to be by [48:33] the stream. God says the trees that are growing are the ones that never

[48:46] thirst because they’re always in his presence. Are you attempting to build a life by the stream [48:54] that is Jesus or are you hoping to get enough to just get by? Friends, this is about desiring God. [49:07] Your life matters to God.

[49:14] Follow Jesus in 2015. Drink heavily from his presence. As the band comes forward, [49:24] I want to transition into a time of communion.

[49:31] Here’s the reality.

[49:37] That is just simply what I want for myself and I share it with you because I believe it to be [49:43] true because God says it is. I want more of God in 2015 than I’ve ever had before in my life.

[49:52] I want to depend on him more. I want to follow him more closely, but I’m going to do it [49:58] imperfectly. You see, the reality is that false gods will come there into my life and tempt me [50:06] to walk away. There will be great needs of repentance in my life. There will be great needs [50:13] of repentance in your life and every moment of temptation and every moment where I identify sin [50:18] in my life, I still need to lean heavily into grace. Actually, I need it more in that moment.

[50:24] What we have right here is a reminder of why we can come to God’s presence, why we can be planted [50:29] by the stream of God’s life. It’s that Jesus took your sin onto the cross. He rose again to give you [50:37] this new life and the cup and the bread represent Jesus’s broken body and his shed blood. Friend, [50:45] if you’ve never trusted in Jesus, don’t reflect on communion today, but rather trust him and then [50:55] this meal will mean something to you. But if you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, if you are [51:01] a follower of Jesus, there are six stations around this room. Reflect on the cross and then

[51:09] leave here today and follow Jesus.