Heaven is a 'Yes' Place

Be a ‘Yes’ Guy

It is so much easier to get things done if you are a ‘yes’ guy.

When someone asks you to do something, or if they can do something, or even if you’re trying to do something yourself; you will be more successful more of the time if you’re positive about it.

Be a ‘yes’ guy.

‘No’ shuts down the discussion and possibilities immediately. There are no degrees of ‘no’. No doesn’t negotiate. No has no options. Just, no. Nada. Nil. Nein. Nyet. That’s it. Discussion over.

When my kids would come to me to ask if they could do something, I’d always try to say ‘yes’, let’s see if we can do it.

If it turns out to be a bad idea, they will figure it out as we talk about it. But, by saying yes first, then they have the opportunity to discover for themselves it is a bad idea.

When ppl come to me to ask if we can do something at the church, or if they can use the building for something, I try to always say yes. Let’s figure out how we can do it.

We have a few requirements. The calendar has to be free. Sunday mornings are a priority. The ppl involved have to be free. And, a member needs to be involved. We have some accountability that way.

We don’t want the building sitting here empty all week. We want it t/b used.

We’re not perfect at it all the time, but we try.

The county used to have a reputation of being a ‘no’ board w/ their permits and what they would allow our residents to do. I understand it used to be much harder to get a permit to do anything here.

We’ve been thru the conditional use permitting process twice since I’ve been here.

This is the only place I’ve lived where we have to get a permit from the county to use the building we own as a church.

When I got here 7 years ago, the permit we were working under was a 10-year permit. The first time I did it, b/c we were doing some new things they only allowed us to have a 5-year permit. We paid $400 to get permission to do what we were doing.

This year we just paid $700 but we got a perpetual permit. Unless we build something or do something different we don’t have to got thru the process again.

I appreciate what their concerns are. There are a few main questions we address with our neighbors. Traffic, parking, trash blowing around, sound, bright lights, those sorts of things.

What they are protecting our neighbors from is if we put up a big tent, held a revival, loud preaching and music late into the night.

They have been easy for us to work with. We are allowed 3 outdoor events. That’s a little restrictive. Our Luau, movie night, and Oktoberfest are included in the permit.

We’ve hosted other outdoor events but it was up to those putting on these events to get their own permit to use the property.

PFD puts on a Community Safety Day (aka Kids’ safety day)

The theater group and our choir have done some things.

By reputation and ease of the process affects what we think of the county zoning and planning and board of supervisors.

If they are a no board, nobody likes them.

If they are a yes board, it changes everyone’s opinion about them and we all get more done.

What I mean is, when we ask permission, is the response, No. Not unless you do these things.

Or, Yes you can, if you do these things.

It’s the same basic answer, but everybody feels better about the process.

Everybody feels better about the county and we seem to get more good stuff done.

Sara and I have done a number of marriage enrichment classes over the years of our ministry. We will talk about this in a marriage.

For instance, if a husband or wife wants a little intimacy, and they ask the other.

If the answer is ‘no’. then end of discussion. Feelings are much more likely t/b hurt, disappointment, misunderstandings are much more likely. Trouble in the marriage.

No has all the power. It controls things it should not try to control

But, if the answer is ‘yes’ just not right now, or yes, tomorrow, yes, I’m looking forward to it when we can. It changes so much about how we feel about each other and the marriage.

There are degrees of yes. It keeps things positive. It keeps the want to in the marriage.

When we’re trying to make changes in our own lives, break bad habits, or change attitudes, focusing on the positive, saying yes to ourselves is more effective in successfully making those changes.

I’ve talked before about what Paul wrote in Romans 7 and 8 where he was trying to stop coveting what his Pharisee buddies had.

In his prior life he had that stuff too. He gladly gave it all up when he found Jesus. Still, there was part of him that struggled w/ he no longer had.

He found out that when he focused on what he didn’t have, and what not to do, it didn’t help him stop coveting the stuff.

But when he focused on what he did have, Jesus, the HS, salvation, a personal rel w/ God; and positively what to do; walk in the Spirit; he not longer did what he didn’t want to do.

A positive perspective went a long way in helping him succeed in changing his attitude and behavior. Focus on the positive.

We’re in Colossians 3, at the end of ch.2 Paul reminded us that we have a new life in Jesus with resources like wisdom and power we didn’t have before we were saved.

Then, last week, I talked about that he wrote that we should live like we will when we’re in heaven. We can avoid so much trouble in our life here if we live like we will when there there.

He gave us 2 lists of things not to do. They were related to sexual sins and anger.

Now, we know what not to do to avoid unnecessary trouble. If we do these things we bring a little Hell into our lives.

Today, it’s the positive. If we focus on these positives we will bring more Heaven into our lives here.

Every day, in every situation, focus on doing these positive things and increase your chances of making the changes that will make your life better.

In the last list, all anger related, he used the illustration of getting rid of your filthy clothing. In continuing w/ that picture, now put these new clothes on.

Put These On

Colossians 3:12–14 NIV

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

From the dept. of redundancy dept., “Therefore...”

Tying the last passage to this passage.

God is not neutral on us. He wants to have a relationship w/ us. He is not sitting passively by waiting to see if maybe we will pick Him.

He made the choice of us.

Don’t over cook this.

Did God choose you or did you choose God? Yes.

Just know, if you feel like nobody wants you, nobody wants to be your friend or be close to you; God does.

If you got picked last all your life for teams, jobs, and friends. God chose you first.

W/ that choosing, He chose us t/b different than everybody else. Holy. Set apart. Look different. Act different.

Don’t be selfish like anybody else.

Be humble like Jesus.

Clothe yourselves w/ these actions and attitudes.

Live on earth like you will in heaven. And the lists of the last passage don’t happen in heaven. But, these do. Put these on.

They require decisive action. Nobody makes us. Nobody does it for us. If we’re going to look like this then we have to intend for it to happen.

Put on:

Compassion. Be sensitive those around you who are hurting. Don’t ignore them. Don’t dismiss their pain. Be tender and empathetic.

When our friends hurt, hurt w/ them.

Kindness. Benevolent action. Don’t just feel something for them. Do something for them.

Benevolent means to do something that helps them in their situation that they do not need to repay.

Latin: Bene = Good. Velle: Do something.

IOW: help them graciously.

Humility. Think of others first. Think of yourself, less. Their needs ahead of your own.

If the entire community is doing this, no one need be concerned about what they need. Everybody else is looking out for them.

Gentleness. Meekness. Meek is not weak. Meek is flexible, pliable like a palm tree in a hurricane. An oak would snap in two or come uprooted. A palm tree flexes w/ the forces around it.

A gentle person flexes with the influence of God around him. God is building you up. You build them up w/ your gentle words and actions.

No harsh reactions even if they may be somewhat deserved.

Patient. Self-restraint. Self-control. Steady, easy when provoked. Giving of second and third chances to get things right.

This list is very similar to what Paul listed in Galatians 5 and Ephesians 4 in the list of the fruit of the Spirit. In those passages he says those lists are not exhaustive. There are others, like these.

When we come to faith and the HS moves into our lives, He brings a bowl of fruit w/ Him. All these things are already inside us.

It’s like going to your closet. You have the clothes, you just need to put them on.

Then he says, bear with 1-another. Tolerate ea other. Don’t write anyone off or avoid them altogether.

Some ppl may never be a close friend, but we can spend a little time w/ everyone and be nice taking an interest in their life.

Forgive 1 another. How?

Well, all you have to do is forgive anyone who hurts you the same way Jesus forgives you. That’s all.

How is that? Did He wait for you to apologize? Did He wait for you to stop doing offensive things?

Does Jesus expect anything in return of you. No. Just accept his gracious act and don’t expect anything of anyone you have to forgive, either.

Forgiveness means to let God make things right. Don’t fantasize about getting even. Don’t plot it, scheme for it, or hope for it. Just let God handle it.

God will make everything right, the right way, right amount and right time for you and whoever hurt you. Take that off your to-do list, to get even w/ whoever has hurt you.

Forgiveness is not reconciliation. God does not expect you to reconcile and be close to someone who has been abusive to you.

Just let God handle making things right.

Restrain your natural reaction for retaliation against difficult or hurtful ppl.

It is utterly inappropriate for someone who has been forgiven by God to refuse to do the same.

And, love is the glue that holds us all together.

Love is the bond we feel w/ ea other. But, more than that, it is sacrificial action.

Love is a verb. We act like we love ea other whether we feel like it or not. And, when someone does that for you, you will feel something for them.

Likewise, when you do something sacrificial for someone else, they will feel something for you. That’s how God wired us.

It has to cost you something. Time, energy, what you want. You sac something so that you can act loving toward others.

When we all do that for ea other, when this characterizes our community, we stay united and together.

A community of humbly imperfect ppl who patiently tolerate ea other and forgive ea other.

Last week I asked you which of those two lists would improve your life if you practices them? The answer was none of them.

Today, which of this list would fail to improve your life if you practiced it? None.

They will all make your life better if they characterize you.

Focus on these positives and at the end of the day you will realize most of the negativity has been removed from your life.

Sounds hard. It is. Not impossible, just hard.

That’s why it requires decisive action. If we just act naturally, it’ll never happen.

But, we have an example to follow.

Jesus would never expect us to do something for Him that He hasn’t already done for us.

In his humanity, what He did for us was not easy.

Stay positive. Stay focused. And remember, the ppl he is calling us to treat this way, He is already treating them this way. Us, too.

Follow His lead and our lives will go much better.

Let Jesus be the Center

Colossians 3:15–17 NIV

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

When the angels made the birth announcement, Peace on Earth; the announcement was not that peace had come to the Middle East.

But, the Prince of Peace had come to us. Emanuel.

In order for peace to rule in your marriage, in your home, in your community, or in your life; it has to rule in your heart first.

Invite the Prince of Peace into your life, to rule your life, and experience the peace that He offers so that you can then share it and use it w/ the ppl around you.

We are the only ones who can let it happen in our life. No one can make us. You can’t make anyone else do it either.

Let it happen. Invite Him in.

This peace is more than the absence of conflict in your life. This peace gets all the way into your mind; your head and your heart.

And the only way it happens is once we’ve pursued and applied the things he’s already listed in the previous verses.

We can’t hold grudges and still have peace in our hearts like this.

We can’t write difficult ppl off and and be united in this church.

We must wish everybody well and let God make everything right to experience what’s possible in our lives.

Let Christ be the Center of your life.

Let the Prince of Peace, who is Jesus, rule in your heart.

Let the Word of Jesus dwell richly among you. Study the bible, know it, apply it, let it be your guide, a lamp to your feet.

Encourage ea other w/ it, admonish or counsel ea other according to it. And let the music that based on it resound in your life.

And, whatever you do, everything you say and do, let it be in the name of Jesus.

“In Jesus’s name” is something we usually conclude our prayers w/.

It’s not a 3-word magic formula to get what we want.

It’s an attitude. A perspective. What it means is, if Jesus were praying this prayer himself, this is what He’d pray.

If He were here to do something, this is what He’d do.

If you have any question about what you should say, or do, wherever you may be, at home w/ family, at Agee’s for dinner, or Boracho’s; you do everything and only what Jesus would do if He were there to do it himself.

That is doing it all in Jesus’s name. When you do something in someone else’s name it means you’re doing as if it was them here to do it themselves. What they want.

You are rep’ing Jesus wherever you go, whatever you say or do.

That includes your posts on FB.

Are you sure Jesus would say it the way you just typed it?

And 3x Paul says be thankful. When something is repeated like that it’s done for emphasis.

Have an attitude of gratitude. This is one of the characteristics of maturity I talked about a few weeks ago.

Be content and thankful for whatever you have. Don’t wish you had anything else, more or less.

Living your life on earth the way it’s going to go in Heaven will lead to some significant improvements in the way things are going for you.

Focus on Christ. Focus on the positives and chances are the changes it will bring into your life will be better, less chaos, less trouble.

And, who couldn’t do w/ a little less trouble?

Applications

List

Look at the list in this passage. It’s all possible for you.

Is there one thing on that list you need of emphasize more?

Maybe a different one every day?

Do that. Make one of them your focus for the day and turn your life in a positive direction.

Bear With and Forgive

Is there someone in your life you need to be more tolerant of?

Someone you need to forgive?

Ask Jesus to help you. Then, do it.

How well do you know Him?

How well do you know Jesus?

If you’re saved, you know Him. But do you know Him well?

Do you know Him well enough to rep him wherever you go, in whatever you do and say?

Maybe take some steps to know Jesus better so you can rep him better.

Maybe be more aware of rep’ing Him in places and situations you haven’t thought of before.

You might be the closest some of your friends will ever get to Jesus. Rep him will.

Every day, in every situation, focus on doing these positive things and increase your chances of making the changes that will make your life better.