About

Big Apple Chapel is a New Testament based church in New York City, modeled after the pattern of the early church, with a strong emphasis on following Christ as a community of His disciples.

Services
  • Sunday - 10:30 am
  • 520 8th Ave, 16th floor
    New York, NY
  • phone: +1 (973) 837-1041
 

Sermons

BAC Sermons

Inertia and Change

2013-01-13

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A body at rest or in motion will remain so unless acted upon by a “disruptive” outside force, a decision/eMotion, or the Holy Spirit.

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten (if you want strawberries, but plant radishes, you'll be disappointed).

We do what we've always done because we value the easy safety of the status quo rather than a vital relationship with the living God.

Signs of a defective value system: comfort, security, laziness, escapism; actions without purpose; no intentional God glorifying, other-centered objectives.

We need something to “upset our equilibrium” so we develop a new Biblical balance (pleasing to God...but in processCol 1; Rm 12).

 

I. PURPOSE - Plan - Organize – Supervise - Evaluate;  SELL yourself on Change (self-leadership) Daily, Weekly, & Monthly.

Visualize negative and positive consequences of present and future course of actions; Visualize objectives and goals and steps until you do them (focus on end result as well as obstacles - reframe into opportunities).  Evaluate traps and Plan alternate strategies, support.
 Meditate on these things...then do them. Phil 4:8-9 cf Js 1:14-15  (see "Yearly Evaluation: Agony to Ecstasy" from last week; "Ain't Gonna Reign No More" in TOYL).

 

II. Panic (addicted to adrenaline) Vs. Pneuma (HS power) Phil 2:13  God works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Rm 6:21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is deathAGRNM in TOYL

1Pt 4:1 since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles...5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.        1Cor 10:13 (plan) way of escape.

 

III. Pleasure/Pain as Motivators (Ps 1 Blessed tree vs Perishing chaff); carrot/stick – buy/pay; Motivation and Momentum
Either way you pay

 

IV. Phear of Phailure; Phixed Phocus Lk 9:51; Num 13 Focus Problems?Fear/Failure; Focus Promises? Promised land; SEALs
We do what we dwell on (alternative focus).

 

V. Phixed Habits -fix habits to make them helpful. Scrape away, repair-[reframe]-relink, test, [practice], shine.

Rm 12:2 do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove/demonstrate (manifest/experience) what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God
Eph 4:at you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt acc to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created acc to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

 

VI. Perfectionism vs Performance – our worth and value come from what others think of the product rather than what God thinks of the process.  Perfectionism is deriving our worth/value from accomplishments in the temporal rather than the eternal spiritual realm...[selectively and overly obeying our choice of commands to the exclusion (disobedience) of other weightier commands
…to impress ourselves, others and even God (doing temporal and even spiritual activities for looking good in the sight of men);
…that results in paralysis, obsessiveness, hypocrisy, discontent, frustration and failure.

 

VII. Procrastination and the Will of God
Heb 13:20 may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, thru the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip/make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, thru Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

 

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:
1. What motivates you to change? How have you developed a new habit or changed an old one? What makes change difficult?
2. Is it harder to start or finish something? What gets you over the hump? When have you been really motivated to complete a goal? Why?
3. How do you charge yourself up to do something that you've repeatedly failed in? Is it better to take a break or keep plugging away?
4. Do your habits help or hinder the attainment of your goals? How did you develop bad habits? How can you develop goal gaining habits?
5. How does your thinking need to be transformed to embrace Biblical values and actions? What help do you need? How will you get it?