REboot Jonathan Landis 8-3-11
Intro: Our lives are similar to building a building. As your life and mine progress, we build upon past events and past lessons. They shape our thinking and actions. The thinking we put into practice in turn shapes our future.
In many cases, a person wouldn’t be who they are today, if they had NOT gone through what they went through. Even bad experiences can teach us valuable life shaping lessons, when we process them correctly.
There are some things in our life though that should not be shaping our future. Some events of our past we’d be better off without. Reputations… we’d be better off without.
If only we could reboot our lives and start over…
ASK: Do you think we can reboot our lives? Why or why not?
It may be impossible to erase our past and start without even the memories… but we can LIVE FRESH and NEW! There is a way to REBOOT our lives and begin living differently than our past.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
What an amazing promise!!! Our past doesn’t have to define us.
Just because you were abused, doesn’t mean you have to always be a victim.
Just because you compromised and lost your virginity, doesn’t mean you have to go on living in impurity.
Just because you have reputation for being a rebel doesn’t mean you have to continue on that path.
With God all things are NEW. Your life can be Rebooted. Your life can change directions and begin being something much better than what it’s been. You can be made new!
Let’s talk for a minute about your day…
It was the first day of school for most of you today! “Back to school,” for some people those words bring feelings of dread and sadness. For others “back to school” is an exciting time to reconnect with friends and be done with their boring long summer days. Personally I drive a school bus, and I have mixed feelings about going back to school.
ACTIVITY: Get out your cell phones, and in 4 words or less text me your answer to this question. ASK: How was your first day?
-Personally I don’t love everything about going back to school, but I do love that it’s like a natural time in our lives for change. Back to school is a little chance for reboot. You probably got new clothes, new shoes, new notebooks and pens… maybe you even went all out and sprung for a new back-pack. Have you ever considered starting off a new school year not just with a new look, but a NEW YOU?
One of the first things you learned in school when you were a little kid was the ABC’s.
I’m giving you some ABC’s to Reboot your life. I dare you to follow these ABC’s and this can be the beginning of the NEW YOU.
1. Attitude
2. Behavior
3. Commitment
One of the first things people notice about you, besides your new shoes and skinny jeans, is your ATTITUDE!
1. Attitude
Your attitude is WAY more important than what you wear, and chances are people are gonna’ remember your ATTITUDE way after they forget what you were wearing.
If you want to Reboot your life, start with letting God bring change in your ATTITUDE. What about your reputation? Who do people think that you are? When a person hears your name, what kinds of images or words come to their mind? Maybe, they’re good things, maybe some of those things, not so good… how can you change your reputation? Start with attitude.
A BIG PART of our attitude is how we look at other people. If you’re perception of people is tilted a certain way, then you’ll talk about them or treat them in a different way.
Do you think the Bible has anything to say about our attitude?
2 Corinthians 5:16 (NLT)
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
Knowing Christ changes our attitude about HIM and other people. Without Christ in our lives we look at others from a worldly perspective. Are they popular? Do you look good? Do they smell good? Do they have money? Do they hang out with cool people? Are they wearing the right clothes?
Don’t act like you’ve never looked at people that way… You don’t have to be a part of the “in crowd” to judge people on outward appearance.
But God changes your perspective. He changes your attitude about people. But where does that attitude change start? Is it in deciding to treat everybody nice one day… no, not really. Lasting attitude change starts with changing your attitude about CHRIST!
I love how that scripture we just looked at reads in The Message.
2 Corinthians 5:14-16 (MSG)
14 Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat.
15 He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.
16 Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore.
When we change our attitude towards Jesus it changes our attitude towards people too. Who do you think Jesus is? Do you look at Him as just being a good teacher? Do you believe He was just a fool who confused a lot of people and then died? Do you think He was a fake? Do you think He was just a poor carpenter from Galilee with a God complex? Or do you hold Him in highest regard as the only Son of God who lived a sinless life and died on a cross and overcame death to rescue mankind!?
When you KNOW HIM for who He really is it changes you! The perspective of the people in the Corinthian church was changed, because they came into relationship with Christ. They got to know Him and it changed everything.
If you try to love people and have a good attitude towards them without first KNOWING HIM, it will eventually fall short.
Change your attitude towards others, but START with your attitude towards Christ.
Reboot your life by Rebooting your…
A – Attitude
B – BEHAVIOR
2. Behavior
I know you’ve all heard the saying… so help me fill in the blank… “_________ speak louder than words.”
Right! ACTIONS speak louder than words! We can talk the talk, but if we aren’t walking out our beliefs with what we do… our words are EMPTY!
James 2:17-20 (NLT)
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
James says clearly… your CRAZY if you think saying you believe in God is enough!!! REAL FAITH brings real action. When we truly believe in God our actions will reflect that belief and bring glory to God.
ASK: Do you think that means a Christian will always do the right thing?
ASK: Does this verse mean that when someone fails in doing good that they don’t believe in God?
-Not at all. Everybody falls short. The reality is we are human, and we are messed up! Until we reach heaven we won’t be without failures, but that isn’t an excuse not to TRY to do RIGHT!
We have a responsibility to God and to others to live out an active faith. Our actions will either turn people TO GOD or turn them AWAY from God.
Personally, when I leave this earthly life and face Jesus, face to face, I don’t want Him to look at me with disappointment and say, “You know, Jonathan, I really had hoped you’d do better. There were people I brought along your path, for you to share the Good News about me with… but instead you treated them like crap, or just totally ignored them. If you had done your part… they’d be here with us now. They’d be headed to heaven, but now… they’re lost forever.”
Man… just the thought of it, makes me sick to my stomach.
You want to know what I DO plan to hear from Jesus when I see Him face to face? He is going to look at me with a smile on His face and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
Our behavior matters!!!
Faith without works… is DEAD!
The A-B-C’s to reboot your life...
A- Attitude
B- Behavior
C- Commitment
Joshua 24:14-15 (MSG)
14 "So now: Fear GOD. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River (the Euphrates) and in Egypt. You, worship GOD.
15 "If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship GOD, then choose a god you'd rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship GOD."
3. Commitment
God is a JEALOUS God… and rightly so. He wants your total commitment. He doesn’t want people to serve Him half way. He doesn’t want to be God of part of your life. He wants total and complete commitment. Joshua here was talking to the people of Israel who had been delivered from slavery in Egypt and then wandered through the desert, until they finally entered the promised land. They were in the habit of adopting the gods (the idols) of the pagan people around them and worshiping them. Then when God’s judgment would come on them for serving false gods, they’d turn back to the True God for a time. They were wishy-washy… back and forth. But God wants total commitment from His people. God doesn’t want to share you with the world. He wants ALL of you. He wants ALL of me.
Will we give Him our all?
Have worship team play song. –“How He Loves” or “You Won’t Relent” (aka Relentless) then end in corporate prayer.
