Rocky Point Baptist Church

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of he surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Philippians 3:8 ESV)

Someone has said that character is the sum and total of a person's choices. Life is all about decisions. Every day we make countless decisions about what we will think about, what we will say, and what we will do. In the Bible we see people who were even called by God to make choices. Joshua called the people of Israel in Joshua 24:15 to “Choose this day whom you will serve.” In Proverbs 8:10, the Bible says, “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.” Jesus himself called people to make a choice. In Matthew 7:13 he said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” In Philippians 3:8-11 Paul was talking about a personal and specific choice to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection.

I want to share with you six decisions you can make by God’s grace in 2012. These daily decisions can radically change how you deal with what is already coming around the mountain of life and bring you to better place on the inside, regardless of your circumstances. You can’t make these decisions on your own but only through Christ (Gal. 2:20). The first three we will cover this month and the other three we will cover in the next article.

1.  Surrender Your Crutch

What do you do when you face financial difficulties, hard times, challenging people, family troubles, sickness, anxiety, or depression? Every one of us has turned to something else other than Jesus to manage our discomfort and it’s our crutch. We may work too much, spend too much, eat too much, watch television too much, abuse alcohol, use drugs, or use pleasure to make us feel better. The thing with a crutch is that it actually is an idol. It’s a functional savior we run to before we run to God. It can be a pleasure, a person, a pursuit, or a perpetual attitude. For some of us our “crutch” is something that replaces Jesus. We may choose the x-box or the x-rated but all of us need to say, “It’s time to lay my crutch down-to surrender it to God.”

2.  Slow Your Pace

When I look into the weary eyes of many people that come into our church—I see people who need to slow down. Some people are just addicted to busyness. We use the excuse of busyness by saying, “It’s my job, I have no choice,” or “It’s my kids schedule,” or “It’s the church schedule,” but when we have a chance to just sit and listen to God we find something else to do and to focus on. We need to make a decision to slow down. We need space to sort out all that distracts us, clamors for our attention, and takes our focus away from knowing Jesus in the course of our daily life. That’s why Paul said, “I count everything as loss” in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ. He was making a conscious decision to set God as his highest priority. When we slow down to focus on the Lord we receive peace, patience, simplicity, and clarity.

3.  Unplug Your Distractions

Most of us do it and don’t even think about it. Most of us are addicted to it—the television, internet, cell phones, texting, Facebook, and Twitter. In most homes every evening the flat screen, ipod, ipads, and cell phones are rarely turned off. I have even seen this in our lives as a family of four with two older children. It’s hard to unplug. We get in the habit of sitting in the living room but we are all disconnected from each other and God because we are distracted by our technology. However, if you want to receive that which you need most you have to unplug your distractions. Make a conscious choice to unplug from the technology everyday and connect with God in His word and with your family. What will you unplug from today?

I encourage you and I flat out challenge you to make these choices in your daily life. If you will make the choice to know Jesus and count everything else as loss, you will not regret that decision…ever! See you next time.

For the Fame of His Name, 

Pastor Ryan 

But that is not the way you learned Christ! –assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

So, let me ask you a post-Christmas question: Have you thrown away any old clothes yet? In my house for almost the last 20 years, I have thrown away worn out, old clothes that were replaced with new clothes I received at Christmas. We are not talking about clothes that are still good, but clothes that have holes, stains, and just don’t fit me any longer (and never will again!). It seems this time of year more than any other, there is an “exchange” that takes place in many households; literally OFF with the old, and ON with the new.

In Ephesians 4, Paul explains that the Christian life is like the exchange of old, filthy clothes for new ones. He shows us that the life of a Christian is not trying harder and harder to be a good person or just stopping old, bad habits, but living the Christian life is living an exchanged life. There is a continual and constant exchange that must take place as we live the Christian walk one step at a time.

I know so many Christians who are caught up in a cycle of sin-confess-sin-confess, never really changing and always experiencing failure and the pain of defeat while trying to live for Jesus Christ. They think that if “I just try harder” to be more loving, more giving, more patient, or try harder to stop this habit or that habit, then they will be successful. Instead, they find that trying harder and harder leads to an exhausting Christian life that leaves you feeling tired, empty, and full of despair.

Paul says in Ephesians 4:22-24 that like old clothes to be thrown away, we should  “put off” our old life and like new clothes to wear, we must put on our “new self.” In other words, the Christian life is all about “off with the old and on with the new.” If you want to be a different person in 2012, then you are going to have to exchange some things. You are going to have to exchange your old ways of living for new ways. Paul says the way you do that is by letting the Spirit of God renew your thoughts and attitudes (v.23). Exchange the faulty ways you think about things with what God says in his Word.

In verses 25-32, Paul shows how this happens and gives some practical examples. He says stop telling lies and instead speak the truth (v.25).  Stop stealing and instead, use your hands for good hard work and then give generously to those in need (v.28).  Get rid of your anger, harsh words, and speaking bad about others and instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as Christ forgave you (v.31).

Every step you take in the Christian life must be a conscious choice to replace old with the new. You have to exchange your old attitudes for Christ’s attitudes, your bad thinking, for Jesus’ righteous thinking. It’s allowing Christ to live his life through you (Gal. 2:20). Start identifying the old ways of thinking and behaving that are in the closet of your life and start replacing them with the new ways of living that Christ himself teaches you to possess. Instead of saying, “I will never change” and just settling for old ways of living, start saying by faith in 2012 , “Off with old and on with the new!”