Actions speak louder than words. When you decide to make a change for the greater, simply declaring the change doesn’t have any effect. You must begin to change your life for it to actually get better.
We are in the 2nd week of our series called – Greater Reward.
Greater Reward
Come January 1st so many people will be starting resolutions to earn a greater life. In 48 days, people will focus on greater health, finances, relations, and spiritual life… But why wait?
Greater is possible right now! You do not need to wait for the calendar to change, you can change your life right now.
Greater is possible! Greater is promised! You must choose greater! This is what we talked about in our first week of the Greater Reward series.
Today I want to challenge you to live greater.
Live Greater
A greater life does not just happen.
Walking into a gym won’t make you healthier.
Walking into a church won’t make you spiritual.
Walking by the self-help section of Barns & Nobles will not improve your life.
Speaking a new year’s resolution out-loud will not grant you a greater life.
In the very spiritual and theologically profound tv show, “The Office”, Michael Scott is in financial trouble when he walks into his office and yells… Well, I’ll just let you see it.
I Declare Bunkruptcy
Saying bankruptcy out-loud does not bring change. You must do more than say words and think thoughts, you must have action.
Too many Christians do little more than saying the right words. When you ask them why they don’t change their lives, they might say like Michael Scott, “I declared it.”
Right now, in this moment I want you to go beyond…
Thinking about a greater life.
Speaking about a greater life.
Watching other people have a greater life.
Live Greater
Live a greater life. Greater is something you are meant to live in, every day.
But here is what I know about you… and what I know about me. We have this pattern…
Goal – Start Strong – Fade.
We set a goal! We are excited about the goal we have set!
We start toward our goal and at the start we do really well…
But then we slowly fade back into a life that is not greater.
Raise your hand if you see this pattern in your life.
You are not alone. I have experienced this… we have all experienced this pattern, but it may give you some comfort to know that the Apostle Paul experienced this.
Paul who wrote at least 1/3rd of the New Testament. Paul, who was raised from the dead… Paul who raised others from the dead and saw much success… He also suffered this pattern.
Romans 7:15 (NIV) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Romans 7:18-19(NIV) 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Romans 7:21&24 So I find this law(PATTERN) at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Paul struggled. Aren’t you glad that he shared his struggle with us?
You are not the only person struggling today. I assure you that you are not alone when it comes to striving for greater but sliding back into lesser.
Paul tells us that he makes a goal to do good, but he finds himself not doing the good he planned to do, but instead does what he hates to do.
I make the plan to eat better, but here I am with a chocolate covered donut…
I make a goal to read my Bible, but here I am watching Netflix…
I know to do good, but I am doing what I hate to do again…
What a wretched man I am!
You and I want greater, right? We want to build a greater life, right? Then learn this!
Chaos does not build a greater life
Do you know what chaos is? Disorder, confusion, formlessness, saying one thing, but doing another…
Chaos is saying I want to be healthy, but still eating that donut.
Chaos is thinking you love God but continuing to live in secret sin.
Chaos is making a goal to earn an education, but always choosing parties over studies.
Chaos does not build a greater life. Chaos is confusion and disorder and is not conducive for life.
The 2nd verse in your Bible shows a chaotic world that was not suitable for life…
Genesis 1:2(NIV) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
The word for formless means confusion and chaos. This was a world that was not suitable for life. For life to come into the chaotic world of Genesis 1:2, God had to come and create ORDER.
The rest of your Bible is a stand against chao
1 Cor 14:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion, disorder, and chaos, but of peace.
James 1:8(NIV) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Chaos does not build a greater life
Your Bible wants you to know, chaos does not build a greater life.
This is what chaos builds…
Goal – Start Strong – Fade.
The reason we have this ongoing pattern of goal, start, & fade is chaos. This is exactly what chaos works in our lives.
Who wants to know what builds a greater life? I am going to tell you, but I need you to promise you aren’t going to stop listening to me.
Discipline builds a greater life
Discipline is one of those words people do not care for much. I hope to change how you feel about this word today.
The world is filled with people who are unsuccessful and people who are successful. What is the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful?
There is very little difference between the goals of the successful and the unsuccessful.
Both successful & unsuccessful marriages make the goal of spending the rest of their lives together.
Both successful & unsuccessful businesses make the goal of providing a service & making money.
Both successful & unsuccessful people sign up at the same gym and run on the same treadmill with the common goal of losing weight.
If you have been unsuccessful in an endeavor, it is likely NOT because you set poor goals.
Simply having the goal does not build a greater life. Having a goal, writing the goal down, saying the goal out loud, while helpful, does not fulfill the goal. Just like yelling, “I declare bankruptcy” does not accomplish anything… yelling, “I have a goal” does not accomplish anything.
We need a goal, and we also need discipline. Discipline builds a greater life! Discipline accomplishes the goal!
Every successful person has learned discipline. The musician, the youtuber, the businessman, the wife & husband, the parent, the student, the minister… if they are successful, they have learned discipline.
So, what is discipline?
Discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want now.
Because I want good health most… I choose good health over the chocolate donut.
Because I want to make good grades most… I choose study over the party.
Because I want a stronger relationship with God most… I choose obedience, purity, the Word, the Spirit, Worship, love… over the temptation I lust after now.
Do you know what you want most? This is your goal. Do you have the discipline to choose what you want most?
Desires don’t determine who you become. Disciplines determine who you become.
Desires come and go. Somethings I only desire when I am the vicinity of them.
Discipline is a rock-solid foundation that stays true even when temptation comes into the vicinity.
A life that is driven by desire is a chaotic life… This is the kind of life that Paul taught us about in Romans 7… The things I desire to do, I don’t do (because I see something else that I desire to do in the moment). The things I desire to not do, I do those things (because I lack the discipline to choose what I desire most).
Chaos does not build a greater life. Discipline builds a greater life.
Successful people do consistently what others do occasionally
The greater life you want to build will require a certain discipling. Do you have the discipline of consistency? This discipline, Come January 1st is where most of the wonderful new year goals will fail.
Followers of Jesus are called disciples. Jesus calls his disciples and then builds discipline within them. Are you a disciplined disciple of Jesus Christ? Before we dismiss today, I want us to spend time talking to the Lord about being his disciple.
Let’s look back at that pattern…
Goal – Start Strong – Fade.
There is another part to this pattern.
Goal – Start Strong – Fade – Loser
When our goals fail, we feel like failures. Our identity is affected by our falling short of our goals. We feel like the biggest losers. Some people hate this feeling so much, they have learned to never make goals. They have learned to not try for greater anymore, because they have had a the string of failures.
Have you ever noticed how the enemy, the devil, treats our failure?
Before you fail: “No big deal.” – the devil
After you fail: “You loser!” – the devil
The devil will war against your will power and discipline to get you to fall short of your goal. Then the devil will war against your identity and tie WHO YOU ARE to WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.
What we are talking about today has everything to do with your identity!
Check out what this subject made Paul say about himself in Romans 7:24.
*Romans 7:24(NIV) What a wretched man I am!
The same Paul who teaches us about peace, love, mercy, victory, and power… he lets us know how he feels about himself in his failure.
Is Something missing in your life?
What is it that is missing in your quest for greater? It could be discipline, it could be organization, it could be a lot of things… But a focus on things will never bring the fulfillment you are looking for…
Is Someone missing in your life?
When we look at the trouble and failure of Paul in Romans 7, Paul does not point us to a THING but a WHO.
Romans 7:24(NIV) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
*Romans 7:25(NIV) 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
God delivers us through Jesus Christ.
The drug addict who tries to get clean but falls back into the habit… Be delivered by God through Jesus Christ!
The unhealthy person who has tried to overcome their appetite… be delivered by God through Jesus Christ!
The one who is indebt and has tried unsuccessfully to crawl out of that hole… be delivered by God through Jesus Christ!
Greater is not possible without Jesus
If you could do this without Jesus, then you would not need Jesus. But we do need Jesus, and we need to become his disciples.
Break the cycle
The pattern of trying, failing, and suffering in your identity is over.
Make your goals in Jesus Christ!
Make all your effort in Jesus Christ!
Make all your discipline in Jesus Christ!
Make all your failure in Jesus Christ!
When the enemy calls you a loser, tell the enemy that is not true because you are in Jesus Christ!
When you succeed and accomplish something greater, give Jesus Christ all the glory, because with out Jesus greater is not possible.
Paul says these words in Romans 7:24 Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Jesus is the answer! Here is why! Jesus subjected His body to death. He disciplined his life completely to the command of God.
And then Jesus Christ and that body that was subject to death WAS RAISED TO LIFE!
Instead of a body subject to death, Jesus Christ wants to offer you a body that is subject to life!
- A mind that is subject to life…
- A heart…
- A spirit…
- A soul…
- Your marriage…
- Your career…
- Your past, present, and future…
“I belong to Jesus.”
Come break the cycle today. Greater is here for you because Jesus is here for you.