Reset: Life Changing | Part 3

Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast.

We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for tuning in.

Well, today we're closing up or finishing out our series reset.

You know, after the year we just went through, we've said, and the year how this thing started off, what we all know is we all need a reset, whether it's personally, spiritually, relationally, emotionally, directionally, we need a reset in our life.

And the question we've been wrestling with is how in the world do you hit the reset button in your life?

And what's great is God's word, man, it tells us real specifically and practically how to just do that.

In Colossians chapter three, we've been studying it for the last couple weeks.

We said this, that reset is possible because in Christ you have a new starting point.

Your starting point isn't do better.

Your starting point isn't fix up your life.

Your starting point is, you know, how can I and broken and failure.

Your starting point is raised.

You're brand new in Christ.

And yet at the same time, reset requires something from us.

Reset requires a rhythm of consistently setting your mind on things above.

Isn't it true?

You spent an entire lifetime training your brain and putting thoughts and having a repeated playlist of negativity and things that aren't true.

And so, one, we have to take responsibility for our thought life.

And then we have to change the playlist and begin to get God's word and what he says is true of us.

We have to consistently, consistently uh set our minds on things above.

And last week we talked about this.

Well, what do you do with all the old you that you brought into 2021?

All those old practices.

And the Apostle Paul is actually very dramatic, if you will, and decisive about it.

He says this that reset means doing whatever is necessary to cut out destructive habits.

All those old things, all those things that are hurting and harming you and others says, do whatever's necessary.

In fact, he says it this way put to death, kill it, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.

Now, as we close out this series, last week you might have been sitting back and going, okay, Ryan, thank you very much.

I know what not to do, I know what to stop doing.

That's fantastic.

But what do I do?

What do I start doing?

In fact, our um groups are going through a little exercise I call red, yellow, green lights.

It's just to think and process through your life and looking back.

And red light means what do you need to stop doing?

That's what we talked about last week.

Yellow light is what do you need to pause or maybe move forward with caution on in your life and really evaluate green light?

What do you need to press go on and push the gas pedal and move forward?

That's what we want to talk about today is what do you really need to start and how do you keep it going?

In fact, maybe to say it a different way is this question.

How do you experience life change that actually changes your life?

How do you experience life change that actually changes your life?

In just a couple days is January 19th.

Yes, it's the day before the inauguration.

What's important about January 19th is experts tell us that most of the people who have made a New Year's resolutions quit by January 19th.

You start off strong and 19 days into it, you're done.

And I think that's where a lot of us feel.

We want the life change.

Yeah, I want to stop that, Ryan.

I want the reset.

But how do you experience a life change that actually transforms or changes your life?

Listen to what the Apostle Paul says next in Colossians chapter 3, verse 12.

Colossians 3:12

He says, Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive one another if you have any grievance against one someone.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you, and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

He goes on to say, Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, since as members of one body you are called to peace and be thankful.

Let the message of Christ dwell richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your heart.

And then it concludes this way: in whatever you do, whether word and deed, do it all into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Giving thanks to God the Father through him.

How do you experience life change that actually changes your life?

Did you notice it?

I had it in kind of yellow on the screen.

See, reset or life change, transformation is cultivated in the refining context of Christ-centered community.

Let me say that again.

Reset.

Your transformation.

It's cultivated, it's developed.

Remember last week we talked about uh the renewing of your mind, the being renewed.

It's a process.

It is cultivated and developed in the refining.

It's the it's community is refining for us.

It's as iron sharpens iron.

And not just any type of community, in Christ-centered community.

Now, for some, you might be going, okay, I saw those yellow things, the one another's chosen people, uh, forgive each other, all those sort of things.

It's all community-oriented.

I get it, Ryan.

But here's where I'm at.

I can't do community right now.

I just, no, I can't.

Listen, I'm not okay.

After the trauma I just went through, after the trauma of 2020, after the trauma of the beginning of 2021, I'm not okay, and I just can't do community.

Let me just say something as your pastor right now.

It's okay to be not okay.

I think for some, you need to feel that.

Some of you're trying to somehow hold it together and feel like I have to be okay.

I have to do all this.

It's okay to not be okay in this moment.

You've gone through a lot.

We've gone through a lot.

We're dealing with so much and taking so much in.

But as your pastor, I want to say something else.

Just don't be not okay, not in community.

It's okay to be not okay.

Just don't be not okay, not in community.

What your heart needs most is the people of God surrounding you to be a strength and a comfort and to help you and walk with you and walk with them in this season.

See, the reality is it's not just difficult or hard to do the Christian life outside of community.

It's impossible.

All of what Paul said here is fulfilled in community.

And you'll never become, and I'll never become the person God made me to be or God made you to be outside of the community of Christ.

It's okay to not be okay.

Just don't be okay, not in community.

See, reset is cultivated in the refining context of Christ-centered relationships.

So then how in the world do you develop, and I develop, these deep, meaningful soul-shaping relationships?

And that the hunger of your soul after a year of being quarantined, after a year of having friendships fragmented?

Like, how in the world do we develop these soul-shaping relationships?

Well, the Apostle Paul tells us the first thing to that actually is to put on the appropriate attire.

Did you notice he says, clothe yourself?

How do you develop these types of relationships?

Clothe yourself.

Put on the appropriate retire.

You know, a while back, um, there's my friend had a little small birthday party.

It was just three of us couples.

We got together.

It was like the first thing in quarantine that we did with anyone else is in summertime.

And I put on this shirt.

It's one of my favorite shirts I have.

Um and my wife goes, Are you gonna wear this shirt?

I'm like, Yeah, I love this shirt.

I I love that it's kind of pink too.

And she's like, Yeah, but the problem is, and maybe I don't know if you can see it.

The problem is it has holes in the front of it.

She's like, You're gonna go out in public.

Well, it really wasn't public, but with a shirt with holes in it.

I'm like, yeah, I love this shirt.

And she's like, no, no, no, don't do that.

Go change.

And I was stubborn and I didn't.

And guess what?

The entire night I got made fun of for wearing my holy shirt.

Why?

Because it wasn't appropriate to the moment.

I got to put on clothes that are appropriate to the moment.

He says, if you want to be in Christ-centered community, put on a tire that's appropriate for being a Christ follower.

Now, to do that, we have to ask this question why do you wear what you wear?

What's the motivation?

Like, why do you wear and put on what you wear?

And here's what we know 2020 killed all our motivation for getting dressed in it.

I mean, 2020 is the year of like, who cares what you wear?

Um, it's the, you know, the team uniform of 2020 is sweatpants for all of us.

And it's maybe wearing a nice shirt up top, but shorts or no pants on the bottom.

And you got to be careful on Zoom with that as well.

And you got to go, why do you wear what you wear?

And I remember hearing this.

I don't know if it's true, but I'm this is what I'm told is that for many women, they actually don't dress to impress their man or men out there, they dress to impress other women.

I'm like, why do you wear that?

Oh, you're not getting dressed for me.

You're getting dressed.

Oh, oh, oh, that's weird.

And by the way, guys, not all guys, but many guys, they get dressed just out of functionality, out of need.

It's comfortable.

And that's why some of you wives have probably wisely began to decide what some of us guys wear.

Why do you wear what you wear?

I want you to notice something.

To put on the appropriate attire, we first have to address what motivates you in the first place.

And this is what the apostle Paul does so powerfully.

What he says is, therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved.

See, he's gonna tell us a list of things of this is the attire that you are to put on.

This is when every time you go out of the house, when you get up, this is what I want you to put on, this is what I want you to be dressed with, this is what a Christian wears.

But this is why a Christian wears it.

Not because you're somehow trying to earn favor from God, not just because you're somehow trying to be a good person.

It's because this is just simply who you are.

This is your reality.

You're just dressing in a way that uh corresponds with who you already are.

Gets back to the new starting point in Christ: chosen, holy, dearly loved.

Henry Nowen writes and talks about three temptations.

Three temptations we define ourselves by.

And these are often the drivers and the motivations for the way we live and go about our lives.

He talks about what do I have?

My possessions, it might be your experiences, it might be uh your um uh your home, it might be your degrees, uh, it might be um money.

What do I have?

What have I done?

Your performance, what have I done lately?

And then what others think of me, approval or prestige.

These things are often the motivating factors in our lives that drive us to what we wear outside in our personality, in our character, in our conduct.

I want you to notice what the apostle Paul did when it comes to what do I have, my possession says, I have been chosen.

What do you have?

You have been chosen by God.

That's what you have right now.

What have I done?

My performance?

I am holy set apart by God.

Why?

Because of what Christ has done, not because of anything you have done, but because of what he has done.

You are holy.

And what do others think of me?

Well, God thinks of me.

You're fully known and fully loved just as you are.

Isn't that powerful?

Right now, in this moment, don't let that miss.

You're fully known by the God of the universe, he knows everything about you.

And right now, you are fully and completely loved, the object of his affection.

See, if we're gonna put on the appropriate attire, we first have to go, why are we gonna put this on in the first place?

It's not somehow to earn God's favor.

It's I already am loved, I'm already holy and set apart, I am chosen by God, and this is just the natural expression of who I am.

All right, so then what is this proper attire?

Paul gives us this list.

He says the proper attire first is put on compassion.

It's empathy and action, an emotional response to a physical act.

It's not just feeling bad or feeling sorry for somebody else.

It's like literally that deep guttural, like hurting for it's your heartbreaking for the things of God.

It's it's being moved to action.

Like when you get up in the morning and you're going, okay, today I'm gonna put on compassion when I interact with my coworkers, when I interact with my kids, when when when I when I'm flipping the TV and I'm seeing what's happening on the news, I'm not gonna respond with cynicism.

I'm gonna respond and react with compassion.

And then he goes on, he says, put on kindness.

It's the quality of being helpful or beneficial.

It's this sweet disposition.

Kindness instead of criticalness.

It's this ability to be helpful, the ability to be beneficial to the other, it's being considerate.

Now, kind doesn't always feel good in the moment, does it?

See, there's a difference between nice and kind.

If you have, or if I had a piece of um, you know, let's say, uh, something in my mouth, food that stuck on my tooth, or maybe I had a little booger in my nose.

Ew, gross.

Um, and we talked, and you didn't say anything to me, and you just let me go about my day, you were nice in that moment, but you were not kind.

You were not helpful or beneficial.

Because a helpful or beneficial response is like, excuse me, I just want to let you know you got something in your teeth and you give, because I don't want you to walk around with that all day long.

I don't want you to have that.

You get, you know, you just might want to.

See, a Christian and Christ-centered community, this is what it looks like.

We're compassionate.

We respond with compassion.

We respond, we put on and clothe ourselves with kindness.

And then he goes on and says, humility.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself.

Humility is actually having an accurate view of oneself.

It's taking on the posture of a servant.

And then he goes on and says, gentleness.

This is the word that Jesus, you know, blessed are the meek, the gentle.

It's what he would say, I'm gentle and humble of heart.

It's actually strength under control.

It's the ability to control one's emotions, not to allow anger to get out of control, but to express it appropriately in every situation.

It's having consideration for others.

It can it can also mean uh being willing to make concessions, that there's a gentleness.

Like this is the attire we're to put on in the community of Christ.

It's compassionate, it's kind, it's human humble, it's gentle.

And then he says patient.

Oh boy.

Yeah, we're getting to the part of the list.

I mean, they're all hard, but we're getting to the part in this season is particularly hard.

The ability to endure and have a good attitude in the process.

The ability to endure and have a good attitude in the process.

Notice that he went on and said, to bear with each other.

Like a Christ-centered community says, I'm gonna bear with you.

And I don't agree with you, but I'm gonna bear with you.

You you really frustrate me, but I'm gonna bear with you.

You're kind of annoying and obnoxious, and your posts are like all over here, and how could you?

I'm gonna bear with you.

Bear with means to endure something unpleasant and difficult.

Bear with each other.

It says, out of Christ and what he's done, that you're chosen, that you're loved, that you're adopted, that you're redeemed, that you're holy and set apart.

I'm going to bear with you with a good attitude.

I'm gonna show self-restraint.

I'm gonna have a steady response in the face of provocation.

This patience.

And then he moves on to something even deeper and even harder.

Forgiveness.

Forgiveness is not forgetting.

Yeah, it is actually technically what it means is to release your right for revenge.

It is to let go of your right.

If someone has offended you and you have the right to retaliate, you have the right to pay them back, you have the right to put them in your place in their place.

It forgiveness is saying, I am going to let go of that right and I'm going to dismiss or cancel it.

I'm going to forgive the debt you owe me.

He says, forgive one another.

And then he says something really, really powerful and really, really hard.

Forgive.

How are we to forgive?

As the Lord forgave us.

See, as a follower of Jesus, we can't say I can't forgive them.

When we have been fully forgiven by our Savior, how did Jesus forgive us?

It wasn't like hesitantly, it was fully, it was sacrificially.

I mean, just this image of Jesus on the cross being nailed to the cross, and he cries out, Father, forgive them.

For they know not what they're doing.

See, when Jesus saw people, and this is so important, this is don't miss this, he did not see people as the enemy, but as his calling, as his purpose, as those he came to seek and save and serve.

And so those he created were nailing him to the cross.

They were not the enemy, he was came to serve them, and he says, Father, forgive them.

They don't get it, they don't understand it, they know not what they do, and then the gospel calls us in light of being fully forgiven to release our right for revenge and to forgive the way Jesus forgave us.

And then finally, Paul says, and then love, and then love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Love is just doing what's best for another person.

It's sacrificial, it's self giving, it's doing what's best.

He says it it binds them all together.

Like this is the appropriate attire.

If you want to know what a Christian looks like, by the way, there's a lot of things you're looking around at the World.

What does a Christian look like?

Is a Christian a Republican?

Is a Christian a Democrat?

Is a Christian blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

This is what a Christian looks like.

A Christian is compassionate and kind and humble and gentle and patient and forgives the way Jesus forgave.

And out of all this, it gives love.

It's just the expression of love.

Love is the true mark of maturity for the follower of Christ.

And love, when you put it on, it's like that part of the outfit that just pulls it all together.

He says, by the way, how do you cultivate deep, meaningful, soul-shaping relationships?

We have to put on the proper attire.

We have to get rid of the old rags and put on the new attire of what's true of us.

And then he goes on and says, Well, if you're going to experience this community, by the way, just let Jesus be the umpire.

Stop trying to be the umpire.

Stop trying to be the one who's making sure everyone is in their place and doing their thing.

You know, I told a story about my boys, uh and we'd play football in the front at the beginning of this series, you know, in the front yard and throwing it back and forth.

And it's a blast.

But but eventually it gets heated and intense, and they they start to go at each other and you know, oh, that was past interference, or oh, this was that.

And just go, hey boys, let dad be the ref.

I'm gonna call the fouls.

You may not like it, you may not, but just let me be the ref here.

You don't need to be the ref.

I'll take care and I'll call it what it is.

Notice what the apostle Paul says: let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and says members of one body, you were called to peace and be thankful.

Let the peace of Christ, and it says rule.

Now, Paul's taking uh a word from the athletic arena.

It literally means let the peace of Christ, his work, his finished work of peace on the cross, the peace that he gives to us, rule, or literally be the umpire, be the arbitrator, be the judge, be the one that gets to call a foul or not, not you.

As since as members of one body, one body, you are called to peace.

You know, God takes something very seriously, and it's the unity of his body.

If you read through the New Testament, you'll see one body, the imagery of members or family, over and over.

In fact, Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, is known as the high priestly prayer in John chapter 17.

John 17 · chapter mention

His prayer for you and for me was that we would be one, even as the Father and He are one, knowing that left to ourselves, we would fragment and fray in our own fleshly old selves response and reaction.

And we got to go, Jesus, you get to be the umpire.

You get to call the shots.

Your peace and your ways are gonna be our ways.

We're not gonna be like kids that are just arguing with each other.

We're gonna let you be the parent and not us.

Let Jesus be the umpire.

Well, what is peace?

Peace is to be complete and sound.

It's wholeness of health, it's harmony in relationships, meaning that harmony of relationship in Christ should be the deciding factor for how you engage with one another, success and fulfillment of purpose.

One commentator wrote this it is inconceivable that those who share with one another the benefit of the great peacemaking work of the cross should live with any hatred, contempt for each other in their hearts.

It says, How do we cultivate deep, meaningful, soul-shaping relationships?

You put on the appropriate tire, you let Jesus be the umpire, and then you gotta be at home in the gospel.

You gotta be at home and make your home in the gospel.

Notice what Paul says next.

It says, Let the message of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs.

Let the message of Christ dwell, like literally, let the words of Christ and the life of Christ dwell in you richly.

Like be at home in the gospel.

Be at home in the words of Christ.

You know, some of our best friends uh recently moved out of the area, and their home was like a second home for us.

We'd go over to their house for holidays and birthdays and really anytime.

And when we're there, we were at home.

You know, you're at home when someone else comes over, you open the door for them, or you get up and you can go through their fridge and get whatever.

And if there's a meal, it's everybody helping together.

You're not a guest, you're at home.

And uh not too long ago, we were able to visit them out of town and got to see them, but they're in their new place and we don't know that home.

And as getting dinner ready, working around, trying to get everything organized.

And my wife says, I just I can't wait till when I know where everything is in the kitchen.

Because we used to know where everything was at.

We were at home and we want to have that same experience with them.

See, what Jesus is saying and what the apostle Paul is calling us is let the message of Christ be at home where you know where everything is.

What does it mean to be at home in the gospel?

It means to be so familiar with Jesus and his ways that you know how he would respond, know what he would feel about something and what he would do.

Because you're just like, I'm at home.

His word is dwelling in me richly.

And for some, maybe you just need to spend time and you need to read through all four of the gospels and just begin to go, okay, Jesus, what are your ways and how do you speak?

I want, I want to know every part.

I want to know every facet of this kitchen and where things are at so I can find it.

I'm at home.

Why?

So that when you teach, you're imparting skill and knowledge.

When you admonish, that's a warning and a counsel.

It's coming out of the dwelling of the gospel of Jesus, not from your preference or your opinion.

And which means that we are being taught and admonished at the same time, receiving from those who are dwelling in the message of Christ.

How do you cultivate deep, meaningful relationships?

What does a Christ-centered community look like?

Well, you got to put on the appropriate tire, you got to let Jesus be the umpire, be at home in the gospel.

And then I love how the apostle Paul closes out.

Because I think as we're talking about this, and is kind of going like, okay, great.

But when does this actually apply to me?

You know, is this like in small group?

Is it where?

Okay, let's let's talk about where.

And then he says this, whatever you do.

And no, I didn't just get lazy.

You're like, Ryan, you couldn't come up with a fourth point on this.

You just kind of come.

No, it's he's just like, whatever you do.

Paul wants to make it so clear and so simple, he's gonna say, Whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father.

When you begin to understand it's all that you do.

Whatever you say, whatever you post, whatever you write in that email, how whatever you you do in that Zoom meeting, with that family member, with your girlfriend or with your boyfriend, with your buddy.

He says, Whatever you do, whatever you say, could you bring that and say, Jesus, I'd say that in front of you?

Jesus, I'd do that in front of you.

Jesus, I I think you would be honored by what I say.

I think you would be proud of how I respond.

It's powerful.

When we begin to go, okay, God, today.

And it's imperfectly, and that's why we come back to him, God.

I need help.

But it's like, God, whatever I do today, I want to do it unto you.

As if it's my work, as if I'm presenting it for you.

I want to treat my spouse the way you would treat them.

I I want to treat my friends and respond to those on social medias the way you would respond, whatever you do.

How do you experience life change that actually changes your life?

Reset is cultivated.

That means it's a process, it's cultivated in the refining context of community.

2020.

Here's my invitation to you.

It's more than an invitation, but would you get in a group at awakening?

Startup next week is beginning.

It's the best way to dive into community here.

Would you sign up for it?

It's on Zoom.

And you're like, I don't want to do any more Zoom.

You need this to become who God made you to be, dive in.

You're like, well, I'm waiting for everything that returns normal.

You've been waiting for almost a year.

Get involved, dive in.

In 2021, would you join a group?

Why?

Because it's not just difficult to live the Christian life outside of community of Christ, it's impossible.

This is what it looks like.

This is the attire we're to put on.

This is the responses, and when we allow the Spirit of God to mold and shape us in community, is what brings soul-shaping, deep, meaningful community.

It's not okay.

Well, hang on, let me say it again.

It's okay to be not okay.

Just don't be not okay to not be in community.

Heavenly Father, I pray for my friends as they've gone through so much and are wrestling with so much on their plate, and it can feel like I just can't do another thing.

And you don't want them to do another thing.

You want to have them experience your family, your community, your strength, your hands and feet.

So, God, I just ask in this moment that this would be a year of transformation.

This would be a year of reset.

As we close out this series, this would be a moment for us as the church to say, we're in.

We're taking the next step.

God, I don't know how it's gonna be, how it's gonna look, but we're taking the next step.

And we trust and know that you will meet us every step of the way.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

We hope you are blessed by this message.

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