2012
part three
A No Regrets Life
Nov. 20, 2011

We’ve been talking this month about what you would do if you knew the world was going to end or your life was going to be cut short by the end of 2012. Now we don’t really believe that the Mayans had any insight on the end of the world, and we understand that none of us can know just when our life will be over, but still the word of God says to us:

"Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom." – Psalm 90:12

You don’t know how much time you have, but you want to live your life well. You don’t want to waste your life.

Here are some words I heard several years ago, and they’ve always stuck with me:

"The man who seeks one thing in life, and but one
may hope to achieve it before life is done.
But he who seeks all things wherever he goes
only reaps from the hopes which around him he sows
a harvest of barren regrets."

Those are haunting words, but they caution us to live a life that counts for what matters most. So considering the example of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, I wanted this morning to share with you some principles for a no regrets life.

Principles for a No Regrets Life
1. Live Passionately

It’s been said that our lives are best measured not by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.

I like that. God made you to live passionately, to live an adventurous life.

One of my friends told me this week, "Sometimes our church needs the coach Scott more than the pastor Scott." And what he means by that is engaged at the emotionally charged level – passionate.

What can sometimes happen in life is as we get older, we become more focused on being comfortable. We lower our risks and play it safe. But God never called us to be comfortable. There’s nothing in the Bible that says His goal in life is for you to be comfortable.

Instead God calls you to a life of adventure and risk and boldness. He says that He has more blessing for us than we could ever ask for or imagine. Here’s what Jesus says:

"I came that they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." – Jesus’ words on John 10:10, TMT

You see, God wants you to step out of your comfort zone. You’ve got to get out of the comfort zone to get into the end zone. Step into new situations and be a little awkward and take some risks, because that’s when you depend more on Him and less on yourself. God has great plans for you.
I want you to know that when in 2012, we are going to challenge you to do some things here at the Revolution. In January we’re going to be talking about making 2012 the best year of our lives, and while I can’t guarantee or control all the circumstances you’re going to face next year, whether good or bad, I can teach you and encourage you with the word God gives us to live by.

You reap what you sow – that’s one of God’s spiritual laws. You get out what you put in. You receive what you invest.

So all next year we’re going to encourage each other and hold each other accountable to live passionately for God and that is going to open the door to the goodness of God that we all want to experience.

Let’s look at something else Jesus said. These were words Jesus used to describe His own people, but I think they can describe our generation as well:

"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling out to each other: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’" – Jesus’ words in Luke 7:31

Jesus is saying you didn’t really experience true life. You just sat it out. You were always waiting for something but never seizing it. You didn’t enjoy each and every moment. I played the music of life for you, but you didn’t dance. A sad song was played, but you didn’t even cry.

You were numb, going through the motions. No passion – no purpose. A life of mediocrity, just getting through each moment and each day.
You know, we’re headed into the holiday season. And there’s so much to do, so many activities, so many tasks that need to be done. And one of the sad realities is that we can be so busy getting all the things done, that we don’t really experience and enjoy and appreciate the special significance of the moments.

So I want you to know right now, there’s going to be one Sunday in December when I’m going to ask you to "do Christmas."

By that I mean I’m going to challenge you to let the miraculous reality of God coming to earth in Jesus affect you so profoundly so that you respond in a way that’s going to make a real difference in the life of someone you don’t even know.

I don’t want to give you all the details right now and spoil the surprise, but I want you to know there is going to be a memorable Sunday here at the Revolution during the Christmas season. You plan on being here, because you won’t want to miss out.

I don’t think you really want to miss out on anything that God has planned for you. And you won’t if you’ll take the example and the words of Jesus to heart and live passionately. Live like there’s no tomorrow. Learn to make the most of the time you have.

Principles for a No Regrets Life
2. Love Completely

Last week we talked about investing in people, because we all agreed that if you knew your time in life was short, your relationships would be the #1 thing in your life. And that’s good, because that’s following the example of Jesus. Here’s what John’s Gospel records:

"Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love." – John 13:1

When Jesus knew His time on earth was about to come to an end, He invested Himself fully in His disciples and friends. He loved them completely.

How can you and I do that?

Say It Now and Show It Now

Make sure you tell people how you feel. Say "I love you. You mean a lot to me. I appreciate you. I forgive you. I’m sorry. I believe in you."

Words have power. Power to heal and encourage and transform. Don’t wait to say what should be said.

And then be intentional with your choices of how you use your time. This week I was tested in this.

I’ve had a ticket to yesterday’s Razorback game for weeks, going with the same friends as always. And that’s good.

But then Annie tries out for All-Region jazz band on Tuesday night in Little Rock. And she makes it playing her sax. And that’s good.

Then we find out that she has to go back to Little Rock for practice Friday and Saturday, and the concert is Saturday at 3:00. Not good – the game is at 2:30.

And so I’m reasoning on it. I made a commitment to be at that game weeks ago. I paid for that ticket! And I’m spending time with my friends. This band thing just came up this week. Annie knows I support her, and I’m always there for everything, so this won’t matter too much.

But it just kept nagging me. And Friday morning I wake up at 5:30 and I can’t go back to sleep, and this is the question that’s on my mind. Are the Razorbacks more important than my daughter?

Well, that settles it. So I call my friend and tell him my situation and give my ticket to someone else. Do you think he was offended that I wasn’t going? No, he said, "I would do the same thing."

You know, the easiest thing in the world is to have good intentions. But the test of love is what you do. Be intentional with your life and do what it takes to show the people you love that you love them.

Principles for a No Regrets Life
3. Learn Humbly

Again Christ is our example. In Philippians 2 we are told:

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus – who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross." – Philippians 2:5-8

You know, you tend to gain humility as you get older. When you’re young, you think you can do everything you want, and you can do it on your own. As time goes by, you understand more how we all need each other. But it shouldn’t take the later years of life to understand how much we need God’s help.

We said last week that we’re all messed up. Dysfunction is the new normal. We all want to do things right, but we’re broken and weak and we can’t in our own power.

I want to be a great husband. I want to be a perfect parent. I want to be a good son and a powerful preacher and a caring pastor and an undefeated soccer and basketball coach. But in my own strength, I’m none of those things.

Life has a million ways to keep us humble. And God lets us know, that’s a good thing. It’s good to mop the floor at the church and clean up cat throw-up at home and to have to deal with all the problems and stresses of daily life.

We think if we could get rid of all our problems and stresses, then we could really be focused and do all the big stuff right. But it’s those pesky little situations and details that God uses daily to teach us humility and to get us on our knees confessing that we need His strength and power to make it.

You and I need God and His wisdom and His power flowing through us everyday if we’re going to experience life as He planned and we desire.

I hope everyday you’re going to God and asking for Him to walk with you and talk with you that day. Ask Him to give you the eyes to see what He’s doing and the ears to hear what He’s saying.

So many people are blind and deaf to God’s activity in the world. They don’t have a clue. But as you become willing to learn from God everyday, you will grow and become what He made you to be.

Principles for a No Regrets Life
4. Leave Boldly

The Scriptures say this about Jesus:

"As the time approached for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he resolutely set out for Jerusalem." – Luke 9:51

Don’t you love that? Jesus set His face with determination toward the job that needed to be done. He didn’t cower before the cross. He went out boldly with purpose. And of course, He came back.

That’s what we all want. We want to leave a legacy in this world that will make a positive difference for others. And more than that, we want to make an impact on people that is eternal – that reaches beyond this life and will be a blessing for all time.

What is it that will last?

We know God’s truth will last forever. God says, "The grass withers and the flowers fade but the Word of God stands forever."

The word of God reflects who He is – His character and values. And that’s never going to change. He will always be the same – loving and holy and sovereign over all things.

And of course, people are going to last forever. Everyone you know will exist for eternity, either celebrating God and His goodness or forever separated from it.

You and I have to decide what we’re going to do about that.

I could choose to do nothing. I could take the path of least resistance. I could just take care of myself and my own, and mark time until it’s done. But what would that make me?

Or I could follow Jesus. I could live as an ambassador for Christ – one who represents God with truth and goodwill. I could encourage others to go with God, too. Get to know Him. Listen to Him. Believe Him. Live with Him now and forever.

That will probably be the more difficult road. It’s going to require grit and determination and a boldness that we don’t have in our own hearts.

But it is the life God has made you to live.

What if you only had one year left? What would you do?

What if it was one month? Or one week?

God gives you one life. But what you do with it is going to have an impact on you and others for eternity.