I have Decided This One Thing is Needed

13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Leave on screen until I mention Resolutions

Paul is waiting to be executed...

I have not finished my work… I have a lot left to do… but this one thing … forget what’s behind - Paul was a successful Pharisee… but he was a big sinner before coming to Christ… He pressed on… After Christ he had accomplished a lot, but he still wasn’t who he thought God wanted him to be so he focused on growing…

Next 3 weeks we want to talk about decisions as we go through the 21 Days of Prayer.

4 important decisions we need to make that need to go with whatever resolutions you make as we begin the new year.

Resolutions

How many of you make NY resolutions? How many beside me make some of the same ones every year?

Funny Resolutions

A NYR is something that goes in one year and out the other

I will stop wasting my time reliving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future

I will start fewer social media fights

I will check facts before posting.

Encouragement - whatever happened yesterday… whatever should have happened that did not happen… whatever mistakes that you made… whatever goals you set last year… goals that did not even come close to happening.... I want you to know we serve the god of a second chance.

ILL - God is like a forward in BB. Maybe you took a shot and missed, but God gets the rebound and passes the ball back to you… and he will do that over and over.

Golf - he gives you a mulligan…

This is important because when you get so a point in life and it hasn’t happened, we tend to give up on our dreams… our goals.

Let me tell you, no matter what is going on around you, 2022 can be the best year of your life. Here is what we need to do.

Remember the passage from last week?

Isaiah 43:18–19 NLT

18 “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Move away from 2021… even 2020.

“For I am about to do something new” Now is the time that God is about to do something in your life. God has created this moment for you.

Isaiah 43:18–19 NLT

Pathways - direction Rivers - provision

Don’t you see it? Too many don’t. This morning, I want you to know God wants to do something special in your life and he wants to begin it today.

So, we are going to talk about decisions. We are where we are because of decisions we make on a daily basis… some good and some not so good.

Talk about good decisions and even an example of a bad decision or two…

I want to draw your attention to the most important decision you need to make in your life right now. I asked this last week too.

What one thing, if changed would make the biggest difference in my life?

What is it? If one thing got better… one thing changed… one thing went away… what would make the biggest difference in your life?

I want to help you see it… draw you to it and see you go after it. I want you to know that your life matters. My role as your pastor is to be in your corner helping you and cheering you own.

The truth is we all have that “one thing.” Wouldn’t you like to know what Paul’s was? Here Paul was in prison and he is saying that he was going to focus on one thing...

I am going to give some categories… may not be yours but maybe they will spark your thinking.

What One Thing?

My habits

What habit do you have that if it changed, your life would be better?

How much better would your life be if you didn’t drink so much? You may be thinking, I don’t drink too much, but everyone around you says you do.

How much better would your life be if you were not so mean to everyone? Live is like a HVAC system. If it’s too hot, you adjust the thermostat and it will cool off.

How much better would your life be like if you dealt with your habits on the internet? on it all the time… looking a bad things...

What about gambling?

Prescription meds

Tobacco...

Now is the time. What would your life be like if you made a change?

My relationships

Some are no good… they draw you away from the Lord… dating unbelievers… partnering with unbelievers…

Compromising relationship with co-worker. run away… change jobs if you have to.

Relationship that needs to be restored… made stronger?

Get in a group…

My debts

What if instead of getting into debt, you begin tackling your debt? debt snowball

My health

Maybe I need to eat different?

Maybe I need to go to the Gym

Maybe I need to go to the Doctor and actually do what he tells you...

My dreams

Mission trip… Israel…

Start business…

I don’t know what that is for you, but we will try to help you as your church family.

Philippians 3:13–14 NLT

I focus on this one thing… I am going to forget 2021 and press toward the goal …

Pray for everyone to reach their goals this year. During 21 Days speak to us.

I hope this stirred you to make 2022 your best year.

Do not show the screen below until I begin to read it. Don’t get ahead.

If you want to be successful in any part of your life, you cannot leave out God. If you have lived life without a relationship and dependence on God you have discovered that your efforts are not enough.

There is something available to you that is so powerful, so real, so energizing that you are able to live not just a natural life but a supernatural life. A life where you look back and say, wow… only God could have done that.

That’s why in the Bible if you asked what is the one thing that if you changed it would change your life the most? You find…

Only One Thing is Needed

King David…

Psalm 27:4 NLT

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

He figured out that the closer he got to the Lord the better everything else was. Listen, the closer we get to the Lord, the more we will be empowered to do all the things on our lists. So, only one thing is needed… to get closer to Jesus.

That’s my one thing… to be closer to Jesus. Let’s see how close we can get. If you are serious about 2022 being the best your life, make it the best year of your life spiritually. Let’s see how close we can get to the Lord.

Look at this story of Jesus life…

Luke 10:38–42 NLT

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha owned the home and opened her home. I know she is the one who messes up, but she is th eone who opened her home to Jesus. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet…

… There is only one thing needed. What’s really needed is for you to get close to God or all the things on your paper will not be accomplished.

I want to help you get closer to the Lord this year than ever before. to do this takes a decided heart.

1. I have decided to make the most of the New Year

NY gives you a sense of a fresh start.

Martha had Jesus in her house and she was in the kitchen. In the same way, Jesus is right here in front of you and you are in the kitchen, the fellowship hall, the corridorss... You don’t realize that you live in the greatest country on earth. You attend a great church, and you have the opportunity of the new year. Listen, Don’t find yourself in the kitchen be right here in the presence of Jesus.

Ephesians 5:15–16 NLT

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

opportunity … window of opportunity meaning it will open and it will shut. You have the opportunity of the New year, a great church, a great country and this year we will put in front you opportunities that we hope that you will take advantage of.

1 year challenge - go all in… small groups… church… growth track… volunteer on Dream team…Tithe … If at the end of the year, you will not be in the same place as you are today.

You are just one step away from the best year of your life if you will understand your opportunity. Jesus is in your house… go all in and just see if this could be the best year of your life.

I have decided that 2022 will be the best year of my life because it’s going to be the best year of my life spiritually.

When your spirit man is dominating your life and not your flesh, you will have the best life possible because you are a spiritual being.

2. I have decided to get rid of every distraction

I’m going to do what Martha should have done… Martha was distracted. She missed her opportunity. She thought cooking for Jesus was more important than being with Jesus. Have you ever noticed how the devil will use good things to keep us from the one thing God wants for us.

Social media - not bad until it takes over,.

Saints -

Wednesday meals - We do these meals to get people in here. Not in the halls talking or in the Kitchen cleaning… That’s why I want them to stop serving at 6:50, so they can get things to a point where they can come worship.

Hebrews 12:1 NLT

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Get rid of everything that distracts you and run the race Jesus lays out for you. 21 Days will help with that.

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Fasting - getting rid of distractions… 21 days creates a habit.

21 days I won’t do social media… bake… go to movies… set aside my favorite foods because eating is distracting.

Fasting is finding that thing that distract you the most and saying, Lord I don’t love it as much as I love you. So I am going to lay it down for the next 21 days.

Don’t worry of you mess up… just start the next day. guy who went to a bakery and at the whole carrot cake…

Three types of fast

Full Fast

Water or Juice only. Doctor only.

Partial Fast

Where you set aside a certain food… maybe a meal…

Daniel Fast

Remove meats, sweets and breads…

Custom Fast

Every time you say no to that, and come and sit at the Lord’s feet it’s going to change your life. But you have to make a choice to stop cooking in the kitchen and get in there, realize your opportunity, and sit at the feet of Jesus.

Look at this,

I have decided that I’m not going to let anything that will ultimately mean nothing keep me from experiencing what means everything.

come on… say it with me, I have decided…

3. I have decided to prioritize the presence of Jesus in my life

I will come to church on Sunday and actually participate in church …

I will serve God on Monday… live my life as a God first kind of life.

Jesus will be the center or the hub of my life.

Don’t let prayer be your last resort, Pray First. Before I post something, I’m going to pray first… before that decision, Im going to pray first.

Listen, Jesus is in your house. Don’t get caught in the kitchen.

Paul actually tells us what his one thing is.

Philippians 3:7–8 NLT

7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

shopping, football, relationships, education, money

When you realize Jesus is in your house, lunch is not the priority, Jesus is.

For the next 21 days, consider everything else as unimportant… as garbage and put Jesus first.

Prayer time

Salvation - when you reorder your list to put Jesus at the top. No better what to start the new year off than to make a commitment to Jesus. Make up your mind right now.

You know it’s time to live a God first life, raise hand… online…

Jesus thank you for a fresh start… a second chance… a chance to know you. Today, I ask you to be the Lord of my life… I give you my life.