Change
21 Days to a No Regrets Life Message Series
October 26, 2008
Today we hit the finish line for the 21 Days to a ‘No Regrets’ Life. I’ve heard many great stories from all directions of the church telling me you have really engaged. In many cases you’ve read the book of John, journaled daily, fasted from “stuff”, participated in a community group or Daybreak Prayer and you’ve grown as a person. I commend you! Well done!
I want to direct you to the Web Site one more time so you could record your story. We are going to leave it up for another week to include as many as possible. I heard about 40 minutes of stories this week from Alpha alone. I wish everyone could have heard those stories. If we all take the time to visit the blog we could really encourage one another. Here is the address:
http://21Days.indiancreek.org
Purpose Statement
Now let’s take what we’ve learned and apply it to the next 21 Days and beyond. What we are looking for is dynamic change that we sustain into the future.
Tumultuous Change in our World
Speaking of change, what we didn’t predict was the tumultuous time we’ve experienced as a country. These are days unlike we’ve seen since 9/11. The bottom dropped out of the Stock Market; a bailout plan was crafted that fell apart and was later resurrected but failed to gain the confidence of the people; the political climate is acrimonious; there are wars and rumors of wars; the global economy is suffering and we are all affected at some level. There are several within our church that are dealing with great physical challenges. These are difficult days and I’m glad that God led us to the 21 Days focus. At the same time that we see the shaking in the world God is revealing Himself to us in new ways.
Trouble
It reminds me of one of the scriptures we had in our reading this last week, John 16:33, In this world you will have trouble but take heart, I have overcome the world.
Jesus said it, we are going to have trouble, that is a given. What isn’t a given is whether we learn from it and change in ways that are lasting. I pray that we will. As my good friend, Dr. Paul Fitzgerald says, don’t waste a good crisis.
A Positive Example of Change
I’ll give you a positive example of change. Most of you know the story of what happened to the city of New Orleans during Katrina in 2005. As the center of Katrina passed east of New Orleans the winds downtown were in the Category3 range with frequent intense gusts and tidal surge. Though the most severe portion of Katrina missed the city, the storm surge caused more than 50 breaches in drainage canal levees and also in navigational canal levees and precipitated the worst engineering disaster in the history of the United States.
By August 31, 2005, eighty percent of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts under 15feet of water. Most of the city's levees broke somewhere. Ninety percent of the residents of southeast Louisiana were evacuated in the most successful evacuation of a major urban area in the nation's history. Despite this, many remained (mainly the elderly and poor). The Louisiana Superdome was used as a designated "refuge of last resort" for those who remained in the city. The city flooded due primarily to the failure of the federally built levee system. Many who remained in their homes had to swim for their lives, wade through deep water, or remain trapped in their attics or on their rooftops. When the death totals came in 1,464 persons lost their lives in this tragedy.
I’m going to show you a media piece about what one of those breaches looked like and you’ll see the damage it caused.
Media piece
Whenever I see this I think of the damage that comes into any one of our lives when we allow a breech to our spiritual life. We can’t begin to know the damage caused to our life and to the lives of others when step outside of the will of God. It is not worth it to go against God’s Word or against God’s will. That is one reason we want you to read God’s Word every day. Learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and be quick to obey.
Rebuilding Effort
When this tragedy came about there had to be change. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers originally built the levee system and they were tasked to stabilize it and rebuild it in a way that would enable it to survive a storm so powerful that it only comes along once every 100 years. Were they successful?
Ike
We know they were because this year, just three years later, Ike came to the Gulf. Ike veered west toward Galveston, TX, but the storm surge was still huge at New Orleans. I remember watching TV as the storm water raged up against the levees and they held. Some of the water actually lapped over the wall but there no breeches.
Q. My question for you as we begin this message today is are you willing to make the changes necessary to ensure you are standing safely within the stronghold of God when the storms of life rage against you?
When times get tough a good place to turn is to the book of Psalms. Psalm 18:2 says The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
When everything around you is changing He is the one thing that will never change. Learn to lean into the will and the plan of God. Rely on His power—don’t live in your own strength and when you can’t see his hand trust His heart.
What’s Next?
So when people ask me, what’s next, I say take the things you’ve learned for these last 21 Days and put them into a lifestyle. One of the things we’ve learned is to be better listeners to the Holy Spirit. He will guide you like He is guiding us. Here are some other helpful ways you can engage at Indian Creek.
Partnership
If you are not a Partner yet I encourage you to become a Partner and to both have a spiritual mentor and be a mentor. Partnership is a mutual commitment to mission, community and growth. You could write your name on the Welcome Card where it says, I want information on Partnership and our staff will follow up and help you get connected.
Community Group
We also encourage you to participate in a Community Group. A new opportunity is starting this Wednesday night, 6:30 p.m. in Room 216 called “The Life You’ve Always Wanted.” It is a great way to be a part of a group. That’s just one way, there are others and you can learn more at the Love People kiosk. There’s a person there to serve you so ask your questions and they’ll help you get connected.
Service
Finally, I encourage you to engage in service. You can learn a lot through study but there are things you can only learn through doing. When you begin to serve you’ll discover God gives each of His children gifts, passion and life experience. When you find the place where those converge—you can serve out of your sweet spot. You may find yourself saying, I think I was made for this. We teach a class called Wired and it is offered on Saturday in two weeks, Nov. 8.
John 18:15-27 (826)
Let’s get into the scripture today. I invite you to turn in your Bible to John 18:15-27.
If you don’t have a Bible there are Prayer Partners walking through the isles with Bibles. Just let them know you need one and they will be glad to share. If you don’t have a Bible feel free to take it home with you. We hope you read God’s Word every day. That is something no one else can do for you. I hope it becomes the best part of your day to read the Bible, pray and journal about what you will do because you set aside that time with God.
The Background
I’ll set the scene for you as you look up this text. Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples. He told them to continue to meet together and take the bread and wine together to remind them of His sacrifice. He also promised to return again victoriously but they didn’t understand that He was telling them He was going to die for their sin.
They went out from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested by the authorities and led to what became a mockery of a trial at the home of the High Priest. Peter and John followed them to the courtyard. John went in to witness the trial because he had connections but Peter was stuck out in the courtyard.
Please follow along as I read:
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?”
“No,” he said, “I am not.”
18 Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.
Skip down to verse 25.
25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.”
26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
What you might not know is that in the Upper Room Peter boldly predicted he would stand by Jesus to the death if necessary. Jesus told him that by the time the rooster crowed the third time Peter would deny Him three times. When Peter heard the rooster he left weeping bitterly. History tells us that he was nowhere to be found during Jesus’ crucifixion. Peter was fearful and went into self preservation mode just when the other disciples needed him most.
Have You Stumbed?
Have you ever stumbled badly at a time when others needed you? It is quite humbling. It can produce a lot of shame. A failure like this can be very difficult to swallow. We’ve all stumbled. You aren’t alone.
I dare to guess that we’ve all had broken relationships where we said and did things we wish we could recover. We wish we could hit rewind and have a do over.
I imagine we all have times we’ve made spending choices we’d like to have back. I don’t even want to know right now how much my Pension has lost in the last three weeks.
And then there are the times where we make moral mistakes and we’ve all been there.
What we are talking about is regrets. This is why in this series we went after a ‘No Regrets’ Life. We want a ‘No Regrets’ life for you, that’s why we are doing this series.
Have you ever been in an accident when you were driving? It might not have been your fault but there is regret there. You look back and you wish you would have done something different.
My Accident
The year that we started Indian Creek Community Church I was involved in an accident on Paseo. I was driving northbound at about 75th. I was watching a semi make a left turn about three blocks ahead. He was in the right lane and he turned across the left lane where I was to make his turn. I was trying to decide if I needed to change lanes or if he was going to clear my lane by the time I got there. Just at that moment there was a string of children that were standing on a curb to my left. One of them darted across the street right in front of me and when he ran the whole group of five ran. I slammed on the brakes and they all made it across except for one. He was wider than the rest and not as fast. I’ll never forget the sickening sound of hitting him and the sight of him flying forward down the road. I stopped the car and ran to him praying all the way there. Fortunately he lived. There was a witness there who said, I saw what happened and there was nothing you could do. The young man lived and I was exonerated but I’ve replayed that time and time again.
Don’t Quit
When things go badly wrong like they can, and it can happen quickly, what do you do? We need to learn from what just happened but we also need to press on. Don’t quit living. Don’t give up—that’s what the enemy wants you to do. Believe that God has something better for you. The next chapter has yet to be written. It is not over until it is over so don’t give up too soon. The breakthrough you are seeking, the miracle you need may be right around the corner.
Turn to God and not from God
In Peter’s case you know what happened next, I’m sure, Jesus after the crucifixion rose from the dead. It appeared the game was over. It seemed like they must have believed a fairytale that ended more like a horror show. Peter pictured himself as a leader and when the chips were down he became a coward. But Love is stronger than evil and Life is stronger than death. Jesus rose again and He appeared triumphant to His disciples including Peter. Luke 24:34 says, the LORD appeared to Simon. Peter was the nickname Jesus gave him. The LORD appeared to Simon. Jesus went after Peter. He’s reaching out to you too.
He Hasn’t Quit on You
I want you to know that wherever you are today in your relationship with Jesus He hasn’t quit on you. He hasn’t given up seeking you out. He loves you. Maybe you are like Peter, you’ve stumbled and you know it. You wanted to do so well and along the way you lost your way. You have regrets. I’m here to tell you today, the last chapter of your story has yet to be written.
One of the reasons why we entered the 21 Days to a ‘No Regrets’ Life was to say to you. You can unload your regrets here and now and walk out into freedom. The resurrection is for you too. Jesus died to forgive your sin and if you will accept his pardon as your own you can not only be forgiven for your sin but you can begin again. You can see your defeat turned to victory. There is restoration for your relationships and healing for your pain.