A Time To Let Go

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>A Time To Let Go</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id493.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="From One Miraculous Birth to Another ..."><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id501.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Real Faith, Full Surrender"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> "A Time to Let Go," </B><B>Genesis 21:8-21</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, January 8-9, 2005</B></div> <bR> <div>      William Barclay in his commentary on Matthew tells us that the 18<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT>-19<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> century poet "Samuel Taylor Coleridge is the supreme example of [the] tragedy of indiscipline. Never did so great a mind produce so little." Mr. Coleridge had great dreams, visions, ideas of poems, but he lack the discipline to sit down and put them on paper.</div> <div>      It is actually not uncommon that great minds produce very little. Most of us are blessed with far greater potential than we realize. What does it take to reach the potential God has for your life?</div> <div>      When it comes to running marathons, Kenyan runners seem to dominate the sport. A <I>Sports Illustrated</I> article in 2001 tells us how they train without distractions. They train hard and with focus. The article says, "their lives are stripped of all diversion and most of the comforts that Western athletes consider essential." The Italian cardiologist who trains them said, "It is too simple a place for [other] runners to live, but for many of the Kenyan runners it is one of the best places in the world to train." But we are not training to run, we are training to live for and serve Jesus. To become what God wants us to be requires great focus and discipline.</div> <div> <I>     </I>From Genesis 21, we will look at the story of the separation of Isaac and Ishmael, and we will see what it teaches about focus and discipline, as people who want to become all God wants us to be.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Isaac and Ishmael, the two sons of Abraham, are forced to go separate ways (</B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+21:8-21" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>Genesis 21:8-21</B></U></A><B>).</B></div> <div> A. God approved a separation between Isaac and Ishmael (Gen 21:8-13)</div> <div> 1. The separation constituted a removal of a threat to the promise to Abraham (vss. 8-12). The promise was of receiving great blessing, of becoming a great nation, of receiving land, and of being a blessing to all the earth.</div> <div> 2. The separation occured with God's promise of blessing and protection (vs. 13).</div> <div> Sometimes we must say goodbye to ones we love, but can do so when God offers his protection and blessing in the other party.</div> <div> B. God protected and provided for Ishmael and Hagar (Gen 21:14-21).</div> <div> 1. God provided when all hope was gone (vss. 14-19). </div> <div>      God had promised he would make him into a great nation. Again, some of Israel's later neighbors owed their existence to God's blessing on Abraham (though the chosen line was through Isaac and Jacob).</div> <div> 2. God was with Ishmael in growing up (vss. 20-21).</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. We must let go of things that will disrupt God's plan and program for our lives.</B></div> <div> A. What is the "program, plan, goal" and why do obstacles matter? </div> <div>      It is <I>God's</I> program, not ours. The program (in general): Becoming like Christ (<A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Rom+8:28-29" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Rom 8:28-29</U></A>); also, receiving the fullness of God's blessings, and serving Christ and being a blessing to others. In your life, that general program will be worked out in more specific ways, related to what you do for a living, who you marry, where you live, and what your goals and dreams are for the future.</div> <div>      Threats, obstacles and distractions matter because they can stall us or derail us in becoming like Christ; they can disrupt us in receiving all the blessings he had in mind for us; and they can prevent us from making the kind of difference in the world that God wants us to make.</div> <div>      In 1 Corinthians 10:23, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "You say, 'I am allowed to do anything' - but not everything is <I>helpful</I>. You say, 'I am allowed to do anything' - but not everything is <I>beneficial</I>."</div> <div>      The goal of winning a race causes you to let go of anything that hinders your running. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says, "Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified."</div> <div>      Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:4, "And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army."</div> <div> B. What are the threats or obstacles or distractions in your life? What has a grip on your life, that is preventing you from becoming all God wants you to be? </div> <div>      Immoral habits (pride, greed, lust, bitterness, unkindness)? Unhealthy influences (in the form of reading, TV, movies and internet, things you regularly think about, other people, etc.)?  Unhealthy relationships? Time-wasters (activities that don't do anything to advance God's agenda in your life; e.g., too much time wasted on TV, web, games, socializing, golf, etc.)? Financial slavery? A lack of good health (in areas over which you have control)? The absence of basic personal life management? Paul applied this story in <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gal+4:21-31" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Galatians 4</U></A> to going back to legalism - legalism is a major-league threat to becoming the kind of grace-driven follower of Jesus God had in mind.</div> <div> C. How do we deal with those threats, obstacles, and distractions? </div> <div>      1. First, make a decision - decisively. Seriously decide to let go of that obstacle or distraction. </div> <div>      2. Second, be accountable to someone who can encourage you. </div> <div>      3. Third, rely on God's direction and help each step of the way. </div> <div>      4. Fourth, get started today.  Jerome Brunner, a Harvard psychologist, said, "You are more likely to act yourself into feeling than to feel yourself into action, so act whatever it is that you know you should do" (adapted by John Maxwell, Maximum Impact Club CD, vol. 8, no. 5 (2004), "Spiritual Growth").</div> <div>      My dad used to say, "Your life is not determined by the things you want, but by the choices you make." And your choices are determined by your habits. It's time to let go of the habits that are not helping you become all God wants you to be.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2005, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>