Sermon Central
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Aim For Perfection
Contributed by Roger Hutto on Dec 31, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: The church should intentionally strive for perfection - being a church where God's presence is evident and powerful. This requires a strategy of obeying God's word, uniting on the fundamental truths of our faith, and never sacrificing unity over trivial
Aim for Perfection
Well, we have another Year in the books! We're standing at the door ready to enter into a New Year. What are we going to do with it? How are we going to approach it?
We've got a couple of choices:
• We can focus on the past: whether it be our successes or our failure…
• Or, we can make the most of the future – redeeming every moment God gives us!
One church media strategist is trying to promote a campaign to Redeem the 167!
• He's referring to the 167 hours each week that Christians aren't in their primary worship service.
• There's more to our Christian life, commitment, and service to the kingdom than what we do here on Sunday mornings.
• Are we redeeming the 167 hours and using each one to glorify God?
Likewise, will we redeem the 365 days of 2018?
• Will we make our lives count?
• Will others be blessed by their relationship and interaction with us?
• Will others have a clearer picture of Christ by seeing Him alive in us?
• Will others be challenged to have a closer walk with Jesus because of our influence?
• Will we model his character each day – not just on Sundays?
To accomplish the goal of redeeming the 365 days demands that we live INTENTIONALLY!
I've heard it said: "If you aim at nothing, you're liable to hit it!"
• If you live without a plan, you will accomplish little.
• If you react according to your feelings instead of a godly strategy, then you will more often than not treat others and act like a lost, worldly, godless person. (You actually have to accept – in advance – that people are going to disappoint you and have a plan how to respond in a godly way – OR YOU WON'T!)
• The path of least resistance always goes downhill fast!
• If you want to live with wisdom – then godliness has to be your focus every day!
Proverbs 17:24 (NIV) A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:24 (GN) An intelligent person aims at wise actions, but a fool starts off in many directions.
His eyes are wandering because they are not strategically focused on wisdom!
Paul had a lot to teach the church about wisdom and living intentionally. He wrote several letters to the Christians in the churches he established on his missionary journeys – the initial spread of Christianity across the middle east and Europe.
• Some of these letters offer more commendation than others.
• The letters to the Corinthians are longer and have much more work to do trying to correct problems in the Corinthian church. HE LOVED THEM TOO MUCH TO LET THEM REMAIN DYSFUNCTIONAL!
o Many believers remained carnal/worldly/not letting go of the sinful baggage of their life before Christ!
o They were cliquish – dividing themselves among favorite teachers.
o Some lived in egregious sinfulness in brash public display.
o Their worship services got out of hand – some were getting drunk on the Lord's Supper wine.
• Paul taught them about being One Body – though very different individually.
• Paul taught them about God's Agape Love – and how it should govern all that we do.
• Paul taught them about the future return of Christ, and how death is not a defeat.
• Paul taught them about showing grace – and redeeming and restoring the sinful.
• Paul taught them that although we are common vessels of clay – God has entrusted within us the treasure of the gospel and the ministry of reconciliation for the world!
• Paul encourages generosity for the cause of Christ!
And in his final thoughts – his summation of his second letter, he says his goodbye and offers this challenge:
2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV) Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Aim for Perfection!
• Does he know that they are going to fall short? Yes!
o Does that mean we don't try?
o Does that mean we don't plan for success?
o Does that mean we don't practice obedience?
o Does that mean we don't stand alert and ready for repentance when we fall?
• What is the standard by which we are to live? Rather, who is the standard?
• If Jesus is our standard, how could we aim for anything less than Perfection?
Illustration: The Baseball player who aimed for a 2.0 GPA in college!
• Fell short – flunked out his first year!
Paul certainly intends for each individual believer to aim for perfection!
