Introduction:
A. One time when Michigan State was playing UCLA in football, the score was tied at 14 with only seconds to play.
1. Duffy Daugherty, Michigan State's coach, sent in place kicker Dave Kaiser who booted a field goal that won the game.
2. When the kicker returned to the bench, Daugherty said, “Nice going, but why didn’t you watch the ball after you kicked it?”
3. “Well, Coach,” the kicker replied, “I was watching the referee to see the signal he gave, because I forgot my contact lenses, and I couldn’t see the goal posts.” (Bits & Pieces, September 15, 1994, pp. 7-8.)
B. How happy do you think Coach Daugherty was that his kicker couldn’t see the goal?
1. Whether we are talking about football or life, it is always best to see and to know the goal we are trying to reach! Amen?
2. As your spiritual shepherds, we believe it is important for us to periodically clarify our goals.
3. How can we please God if we don’t remind ourselves about God’s expectations for us?
4. How can we move forward together and hold each other accountable if we don’t review what we are all about every once in a while?
C. So, in order to clarify our goals and be reminded of God’s expectations for us, we have made the bookmark that you are getting a copy of today.
1. I would encourage each of us to take the bookmark home and keep it in a prominent place – put it on the refrigerator or keep it where you do your daily devotional.
2. Then, when each of us see the bookmark, we can be reminded of our shared goals.
3. Feel free to take as many as you need and to share them with others as well.
D. What I will be doing in today’s sermon and in next week’s sermon is to briefly touch on the twelve shared goals listed on the bookmark.
1. Lord willing, we will cover the first six of them today, and second six next Sunday.
2. These 12 shared goals are not a perfect list, but hopefully they help organize and direct our hearts and lives toward pleasing God and being faithful to Him.
3. There is no specific right order for them, but I did try to start and finish with a more general goal that works in conjunction with the others.
So, Let’s talk about Our Shared Goals
A. The first shared goal is Believe Wholeheartedly
1. A logical and important place for us to begin is with the goal of believing wholeheartedly.
2. The verse I chose to convey this goal is Hebrews 11:1 and 6 which says: 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:1, 6)
3. Faith is the primary and foundational response that God is looking for from us.
a. Without faith, we cannot be saved nor can we lead a life that pleases God.
4. The words faith and believe are often used interchangeably and rightly so, but I like to use the word trust, because it expresses an activity that is beyond merely something we think.
a. Ultimately, faith is something we must do and live.
5. I chose the word “wholeheartedly” to modify the word believe, because it expresses the depth and breadth of the faith that God requires.
a. “Wholeheartedly” conveys the “all in” completeness of our commitment and belief.
6. I like to use the illustration of the famous tightrope walker Blondin.
a Five years ago, in 2012, Nik Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope to become the first person to walk on a tightrope 1,800 feet across the mist-fogged brink of roaring Niagara Falls.
b. About a dozen other tightrope artists have crossed the Niagara Gorge downstream, including The Great Blondin, in 1859, but no one had walked directly over the falls, and authorities hadn’t allowed any tightrope acts in the area since 1896.
c. Back in 1859, Blondin went to Niagara Falls and put on a three-day show.
d. They stretched a long steel cable across the gorge, and Blondin performed without a safety net, even in the strong winds.
e. He walked across, ran across, even danced across to the amazement and delight of the crowd.
f. Then he took a wheel barrow full of bricks and effortlessly pushed it on the rope across the gorge, from one side to the other.
g. Blondin turned to the crowd and asked, “How many of you believe that I could push this wheelbarrow across with a man in it?”
h. The vote of the crowd was unanimous. Everyone cheered and held their hands high.
i. Then he asked, “Then who will step forward and get in the wheelbarrow?” No one did.
j. It is one thing to say you “believe” the tight-roper can do it, and it is something else to trust him with your life.
k. I’m not saying that it is wrong to doubt a tight-rope walker, but a person can’t say they believe unless they are willing to trust.
7. So, when we talk about believing wholeheartedly, we are not talking about just an intellectual belief that there is a God and the Bible is his Word.
a. We are talking about believing in Him enough and trusting in him enough to obey His Word…to put it into action…and to trust our whole life with God.
8. Believing wholeheartedly will lead us to try to reach toward all the other goals that we share.
B. A second shared goal is Worship Regularly
1. When we believe wholeheartedly in the Lord, worship will come naturally and we will want to worship Him regularly.
2. The word “worship” is a tricky one for us, because there are many aspects to obeying God’s command to worship Him.
a. Worship certainly includes what we are doing this morning as we gather with fellow believers and worship through song, prayer, preaching, giving and the observance of the Lord’s Supper.
b. This aspect of worship is extremely important and cannot be overemphasized.
3. The verse that I chose to go along with this goal is Hebrews 10:24-25 which says: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
a. The Hebrew writer points out a bad habit that some people he knew had fallen into – they had the habit of skipping the gathering of the church for worship.
b. The Hebrew writer pleaded with his readers to not fall into that habit, rather he wanted them to be in the habit of gathering to encourage each other and to spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
4. It is very difficult for any of us to keep growing in Christ and to stay spiritually strong if we stop gathering regularly for worship.
a. Satan and his traps and temptations are just too strong for us by ourselves.
b. That’s why we need each other and why we need to keep meeting together.
5. I like the story told of a certain member of a church, who had previously been very involved and regular in attendance who stopped meeting with the congregation.
a. After a number of weeks, the preacher decided to visit him.
b. It was a chilly evening, and the preacher found the man home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
c. Guessing the reason for the visit, the man welcomed him and let him to a big chair near the fireplace and the two sat down.
d. The two men sat in silence looking at the fire.
e. After a few minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs and carefully removed a brightly burning log.
f. He placed it to one side of the hearth all alone, and then sat back in his chair.
g. The homeowner sat in quiet fascination, as the one lone log’s flame diminished, and soon was cold and lifeless.
h. Just before the preacher left, he picked up the cold, flameless log and placed it back in the middle of the fire.
i. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
j. As the preacher reached the door to leave, the host said, “Thank you so much for your visit and for the sermon. I will be back in church for worship next Sunday.”
6. We are just like that log – our flame will grow cold without the warmth of gathering with the church for worship.
7. But we would fall short of the worship God wants for us if we just defined “worship” as what we do together on Sunday mornings.
a. As we are studying Romans 12 in our Sunday morning class this quarter, we are learning that worship also includes the offering of our entire lives in service to God.
8. So, if we are trying to make it our goal to please the Lord, then worshiping regularly with our brothers and sisters in Christ on Sunday mornings is absolutely necessary, but it is supposed to be the launching point for the minute by minute worship we offer God through the living sacrifice of our lives.
C. A third shared goal is Fellowship Devotedly
1. Linked closely with our regular worship is devoted fellowship.
2. I chose Acts 2:42-47 because it shows devoted fellowship in action: They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
a. In that passage we see the early church living in community – they are devoted to each other, they share with each other, they are together regularly and they love to eat together.
3. So, just what is fellowship? We often use the term rather loosely and it sometimes has lost its intended meaning.
a. Christian fellowship includes eating together, but it is much more than that.
b. Christian fellowship includes socializing, but it is much more than that. You can get socializing in lots of other places.
c. Fellowship is the expression of genuine Christianity among the members of God’s family.
d. Fellowship affirms a new reality. God has called us into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:9).
e. We are drawn into relationship with God and participate in a unique fellowship with Him, a fellowship that is won for us by the blood of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16).
f. And because others are also in Christ, we experience the unique relationship of fellowship with them, also, through our fellowship with Christ.
4. Ultimately, fellowship is a union, a oneness, a kinship, the closest of relationships with God and with God’s people.
a. This fellowship, is something to be experienced and something to be lived.
a. This fellowship is something to be treasured and enjoyed.
b. This fellowship is both a privilege and a responsibility.
5. God wants us to be devoted to the fellowship with Him and with His people, the church.
D. A fourth shared goal is Serve Willingly
1. It is God’s will that each of us develop the heart of a servant.
2. We are not saved by our works, but we are created to do good works (Eph. 2:10).
3. I chose the passage from 1 Peter 4:10-11 to express this shared goal that we should embrace: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
a. I like how Peter communicates so simply and clearly that God has given each of us different gifts and abilities and that God’s grace is administered in many different ways of serving.
4. Paul communicated the same ideas in Romans 12, starting with verse 4: Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. (Rom. 12:4-8)
a. Paul emphasizes diversity of gifts and functions, just like Peter did.
b. Then Paul says that we belong to each other and we need each other.
c. Finally, Paul concludes with the admonition to simply serve with gusto in what kind of service a person is suited for.
5. We learn from all this that God has uniquely gifted each one of us for service and God desires us to willingly use those gifts for the good of others.
6. Like the 10 talent man, some of us have many talents, while others of us might be more like the one talent man.
7. In the end the important question isn’t how many talents we have, but how faithfully and willingly are we serving with the talents we have been given.
8. If we want to please God, then we will be striving toward the goal of serving willingly.
E. A fifth shared goal is Pray Fervently
1. Colossians 4:2 says: Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
2. In the King James Version, James 5:16b says: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
a. The same verse in the NIV says: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
3. Prayer is powerful and effective and availeth much because God is powerful and wise and answers our prayers.
4. I’m so thankful for the faithful and fervent prayers of our church family.
5. We are a leadership and a membership that is devoted to praying for each other, for our country, and for the world.
6. Thank God for the way He has answered our prayers in the past and for the way He will answer our prayers in the future.
7. I want to encourage us to be a people who continue to fervently pray without ceasing.
F. A final shared goal for us to discuss today is Give Generously
1. I have chosen 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 to covey this goal: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
a. God wants us to give generously because that is what is best for us and is best for the efforts we are giving toward.
b. But as we learn to give generously, it is also important that we are giving cheerfully.
c. If we are giving generously, but are not giving cheerfully, then some of the blessing is lost.
2. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive, and I think He knows what He is talking about!
3. God is so pleased when we give cheerfully and generously.
4. I praise God for the faithful and generous giving of this church family over the years – I have personally witnessed it for the last 30 years.
5. We have accomplished so much through the generous and faithful giving of so many.
Conclusion:
A. So, I hope you are encouraged and challenged by these first six shared goals that we have discussed today.
1. God wants us to strive toward these shared goals:
a. Believe Wholeheartedly
b. Worship Regularly
c. Fellowship Devotedly
d. Serve Willingly
e. Pray Fervently
f. Give Generously
2. I would encourage each of us to do a personal inventory and ask ourselves how well we are achieving these goals in our lives.
3. And I would encourage each of us to concentrate on growing in each of them.
B. Perhaps we will need to approach these goals like Charlie Brown.
1. In one Peanuts comic strip the first frame showed Charlie Brown batting. “STRIKE THREE!” 2. He has struck out again and slumps down on the players’ bench.
3. He says, “Rats! I’ll never be a big league player. I just don’t have it! All my life I’ve dreamed of playing in the big leagues, but I know I’ll never make it.”
4. Lucy turns to console him. “Charlie Brown, you’re thinking too far ahead. What you need to do is set yourself more immediate goals.”
5. Charlie Brown looks up and asks, “Immediate goals?”
6. Lucy responds, “Yes. Start with this next inning when you go out to pitch. See if you can walk out to the mound without falling down.” That’s a more immediate goal.
C. As we take steps toward embodying these shared goals maybe we need to start with baby steps.
1. We all have to start where we are and grow little by little each day, by small steps, in order to get to where God wants us to be.
