Resolutions

How many of you made any New Year’s Resolutions this year? Are you

still keeping them?

What is a New Year’s Resolution? –

According to some, it is simply a “to

do” list for the first week of January?

Here’s an encouraging thought: “So many improvements needed and

so little time!”

Perhaps you are insulted that

we are even speaking about resolutions as expressed here by

Calvin: “Resolutions? Me?? Just what are you implying? That I

need to change?? Well, buddy, as far as I’m concerned, I’m perfect

the way I am.”

Or perhaps like this person, you want to avoid discussing it

altogether! You resolved to avoid people who ask you about

your resolutions.

You could be hedging your bets a bit – select ending A or

ending B – lose weight or buy a bigger basket. It’s easier to

keep a resolution if you have some flexibility!

Maybe you are

very specific

about what you

want to

accomplish – I like this one! – “Lose just enough weight so

that my gut doesn’t jiggle when I brush my teeth.”

Or perhaps you approached this year a bit more

philosophical – “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I

didn’t become a better person.”

Interesting Statistics

Here are the top ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2015.

I‘m not really sure how these are determined but I

found this on the internet – so it must be true!

1. Lose Weight

2. Get Organized

3. Spend Less, Save More

4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest

5. Staying Fit and Healthy

6. Learn Something Exciting

7. Quit Smoking

8. Help Others in Their Dreams

9. Fall in Love

10. Spend More Time with Family

Here are some statistics on how many people actually make resolutions:

45% of Americans usually make New Year’s Resolutions.

17% sometimes make New Year’s Resolutions

38% never make New Year’s Resolutions

And, here are the statistics of how well we keep them:

8% report they are successful in achieving their resolutions

49% report they have infrequent success with their resolutions

24% report that they have always failed

I’m not sure what happened with the other 20% – but it was probably not good or they would have

wanted to report on it.

They did mention in this report that people who made specific goals in their resolutions were 10 times

as likely to succeed as those who did not spell it out. For example those who stated they wanted to lose

20 pounds were 10 times more likely to succeed than those who just said they wanted to lose weight.

The data suggested that as we age, the success rate goes down – this is why I rarely make resolutions

anymore. And they pointed out that of those people who made resolutions and were able to keep them:

71% made it past two weeks

61% made it past a month

46% made it past half a year.

The Science of Broken Resolutions

Did you know there is a science of broken resolutions? According to some scientific studies, there are

good reasons why we often don’t keep our resolutions. The Wall Street Journal, in an article titled Blame

it on the Brain, reports:

Willpower, like a bicep, can only exert itself so long before it gives out; it’s an extremely limited

mental resource.

It goes on to say:

Human routines are stubborn things, which helps explain why 88% of all resolutions end in

failure … Bad habits are hard to break – and they’re impossible to break if we try to break them

all at once.

He described a study involving a group of students at Stanford University. One group was given a two-

digit number to remember, the other group was given a seven-digit number to remember. They were

then told to walk down the hall where they were offered two different snack options, one healthy and

the other unhealthy. The group trying to remember the seven-digit number chose the unhealthy snack

at a rate of 10 times more than the other group. They summed it up this way:

Willpower is so weak, and the prefrontal cortex is so overtaxed …

The prefrontal cortex is the center of willpower in our brain – it also keeps us focused, handles short-

term memory, and helps us solve abstract problems.

Willpower is so weak, and the prefrontal cortex is so overtaxed, that all it takes is five extra bits

of information before the brain starts to give in to temptation.

The article goes on to say:

Most of us assume that self-control is largely a character issue, and that we would follow

through on our New Year’s resolution if only we had a bit more discipline. But this research

suggest that will power itself is inherently limited.

Scientific studies have also shown that willpower actually decreases the more tired we are or the longer

we have gone without food. A malnourished or exhausted brain has a hard time keeping us from doing

things that we want to do, even if we know it is not good for us.

This article underscores something I have intuitively known for a number of years: I don’t have what it

takes to become a better me. While I may be able to control some of my behavior some of the time, I

cannot make myself a better person!

This actually sounds rather disheartening. If I need to change and can’t, I am in a hopeless situation. The

article suggest two things that can help.

One is appropriate nutrition – where have we heard that before? How we eat influences choices we

make about lots of things. The Biblical health message really does matter – not because it earns us

brownie points with God, but because it makes us into stronger people, people better able to follow

Jesus. This is for another sermon, but couldn’t help mentioning it!

The other is the power of distraction. We have mentioned this before – the human mind is not capable

of holding two thoughts at the same time. We are generally unable to resist temptation by just gritting

our teeth and trying to hold out against our desires. But, if we deliberately focus on something else, we

will generally lose sight of the temptation because our mind is filled with something else. The article

concludes with these words:

When a dangerous desire starts coming on, just remember: Gritting your teeth isn’t the best

approach, as even the strongest mental muscles quickly get tired. Instead, find a way to look at

something else. (Blame it on the Brain, by Jonah Lehrer, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 26, 2009)

It is not always as easy as this statement makes it sound. It is; however, a simple and profound truth.

This is the main point we need to take away from this article. As Christians we know the only thing that

will bring lasting change is to refocus our attention on Jesus. This is why we are discussing resolutions

here in the middle of February!

The One Thing

Many of us participated in the “All About Jesus” Seminar back in the middle of November, about three

months ago. We were moved by Lee and Marji’s passion for connecting with Jesus. Many of us either

began or re-committed to beginning each day by spending quality time with Jesus recognizing that

everything needful in our Spiritual walk, grows out of time spent getting to know Jesus as our LORD and

our Friend.

But, as time goes on, it is easy to lose our focus. Perhaps we started enthusiastically but found it hard to

concentrate. Maybe life just rolled in with a vengeance and we found ourselves distracted. We may have

had trouble figuring out where to start and how to do it. Or perhaps we got sidetracked on dealing with

our temper, or our smoking, or whatever else it is that we know is a trouble spot in our lives.

One important thing the article about failed resolutions points out is, trying to work on more than one

change at a time almost always fails. So here’s the point: There is only one thing that will make an

eternal difference to us and will impact the way we live here. That one thing is a vibrant, living

relationship of love with Jesus. And there is only one way to get it – spend time with Him.

Spending regular, meaningful time with Jesus is really a resolution we need to be making over and over

again. And it’s really the only resolution we need to concern ourselves with – everything we need will

grow out of that relationship.

We need to make this resolution in the middle of February. We need to make it at the beginning of

March. We need to remake it in the spring, the middle of the summer, in the fall. We need to remake it

every day for the rest of our lives! This is the main thing in being Christian. It is the main thing about

being a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. And, as the saying goes: “We need to keep making the main

thing, the main thing!”

Paul, towards the end of the book of Romans, issues this challenge:

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he

has done for you.

Paul uses “our bodies” to mean our entire life – our work, our play, our education, our thoughts, our

actions – all of what are and do.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he

has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is

truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God

transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know

God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, NLT)

The way we do this, the way we “let God transform” us into new people is by being connected with Him.

And, we connect with Him by spending regular, quality time focusing on Him by reading His Word, the

Bible, for the purpose of getting to know Him better, talking with Him as a friend in prayer, and sharing

our experience with Him with others as He gives us the opportunity. In the Desire of Ages it says:

It is the gospel of the grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love

of God manifested in His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else

can … It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the Disciples

of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour's matchless love, revealed throughout His

pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary's cross, and the sight of Him

attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear

His voice, and they follow Him. (The Desire of Ages, pages 479-480)

This Sermon Series

This is the reason for this sermon series, it is to focus on the only One, Jesus, who can really make a

difference in our lives and to provide some structure for spending time with Jesus each day. If you

already have a good worship routine with Jesus, that’s great. If not, you may wish to try this.

Here’s how it will work. You will notice the bulletin insert titled The One, Reading Schedule, Week 1. On

it you will see a Scripture reading for each day of the week and near the top, chapters from the Desire of

Ages that correspond with the week’s readings. These readings will take us chronologically through the

life of Jesus as we go through the Gospels.

Spend a little time with the reading each day, and if you need a little bit more to think about, read the

Desire of Ages. Every Sabbath I preach, we will spend a few minutes at the beginning of the sermon

letting you share a couple of insights you found that week. Then my message will be based on some part

of that week’s readings.

The sermon series will last as long as it takes us to work our way through the Gospels. Of course there

will be a few Sabbaths we have special events or guest speakers and those weeks the message may not

correspond with the week’s readings. I estimate it will take us six months or so. Every sermon I preach

will be available to download or print through my blog or through our weekly e-mail Newsletter

(instructions on how to sign up for it are listed in the bulletin).

Let’s Do this!

The real issue for us this this. You and I make up our church. It’s not this building, the building is only

where meet. We are the church! We will only be fulfilling our mission in Jesus as we are connected to

Him. The more of us who have really given ourselves to Him, and are spending regular time with Him,

growing to love Him more – the stronger our church will be. And the more we will be able to make a

difference here in our community, the kind of difference that God wants us to make.

Again, from the Desire of Ages:

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ.

I don’t think that she used the word “hour” here for us to set our clocks by. I think she just wanted us to

understand that it is worth investing a significant amount of our time in. Each of us has to determine

how much time we need – usually as it becomes more meaningful, we will find ourselves wanting to

spend more time!

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ.

We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing

ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more

constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit …

Beholding the beauty of His character, we shall be "changed into the same image from glory to

glory." 2 Cor. 3:18. (The Desire of Ages, page 83)

In other words, everything we need to be able to grow in Jesus will be given us through the time we

spend focusing on Him!

These words to a song, written by Scott Wesley Brown, sum up my desire for this church, for each of

you!

I could wish you joy and peace, to last a whole life long,

I could wish you sunshine, or a cheerful little song,

Or wish you all the happiness that this life could bring,

But, I wish you Jesus, more than anything!

I could wish you leaves of gold and may your paths be smooth,

I could wish you treasure or that all your dreams come true,

And I could wish you paradise, that everyday be spring

But, I wish you Jesus, more than anything!

'Cause when I wish you Jesus, I have wished you everything!!

Today I really wish you Jesus! I pray you will discover, as many of us have, that He can be the best friend

a person could ever have. And the way for you to keep Him in your life, is to spend time with Him. Don’t

miss out on this adventure that can take you into eternity!

Notes

Information and statistics on resolutions are from Statistic Brain and from Top 10 New Year’s

Resolutions. Click on the title to read the article.

Information on the science of failed resolutions is from the article Blame it on the Brain, by Jonah

Lehrer, in the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 26, 2009. Click on the title to read the article.

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NLT): “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death,

between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to

keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live

and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and

occupy.

17 “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and

worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live

a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now

I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so

that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the LORD your

God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you

love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20, NLT)

Psalm 51:10-12 (NIV): Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do

not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your

salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12, NIV)

Psalm 119:9-11 (NLT): How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to

find you – don’t let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9-11, NLT)

Psalm 119:103-105 (NLT): How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. 104 Your

commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. 105 Your word is

a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:103-105, NLT)

Psalm 119:165 (NIV): Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

(Psalm 119:165, NIV)

Jeremiah 13:23 (NIV): Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good

who are accustomed to doing evil. (Jeremiah 13:23, NIV)

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NLT): “The day is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the

people of Israel and Judah. 32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors

when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that

covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the LORD.

33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the

LORD. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be

their God, and they will be my people. 34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will

they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the LORD.’ For everyone, from the

least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the LORD. “And I will forgive their wickedness,

and I will never again remember their sins.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, NLT)

Ezekiel 36:25-27 (NLT): “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be

washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will

put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender,

responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be

careful to obey my regulations.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27, NLT)

John 10:27-29 (NKJV): My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them

eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My

Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of

My Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29, NKJV)

John 15:1-22 (the Voice): I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. 2 My Father

examines every branch in Me and cuts away those who do not bear fruit. He leaves those

bearing fruit and carefully prunes them so that they will bear more fruit; 3 already you are clean

because you have heard My voice. 4 Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear

fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me.

5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great

fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is like a

branch that is tossed out and shrivels up and is later gathered to be tossed into the fire to burn. 7 If you abide in Me and My voice abides in you, anything you ask will come to pass for you. 8 Your

abundant growth and your faithfulness as My followers will bring glory to the Father.

At a time when all of His disciples are feeling as if they are about to be uprooted, Jesus

sketches a picture of this new life as a flourishing vineyard—a labyrinth of vines and strong

branches steeped in rich soil, abundant grapes hanging from their vines ripening in the sun.

Jesus sculpts a new garden of Eden in their imaginations—one that is bustling with fruit,

sustenance, and satisfying aromas. This is the Kingdom life. It is all about connection,

sustenance, and beauty. But within this promise of life is the warning that people must be in

Christ or they will not experience these blessings.

Jesus: 9 I have loved you as the Father has loved Me. Abide in My love. 10 Follow My example in

obeying the Father’s commandments and receiving His love. If you obey My commandments, you

will stay in My love. 11 I want you to know the delight I experience, to find ultimate satisfaction,

which is why I am telling you all of this.

12 My commandment to you is this: love others as I have loved you. 13 There is no greater way to

love than to give your life for your friends. 14 You celebrate our friendship if you obey this

command. 15 I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing,

but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends. 16 You did not choose

Me. I chose you, and I orchestrated all of this so that you would be sent out and bear great and

perpetual fruit. As you do this, anything you ask the Father in My name will be done. 17 This is My

command to you: love one another.

18 If you find that the world despises you, remember that before it despised you, it first despised

Me. 19 If you were a product of the world order, then it would love you. But you are not a product

of the world because I have taken you out of it, and it despises you for that very reason. 20 Don’t

forget what I have spoken to you: “a servant is not greater than the master.” If I was mistreated,

you should expect nothing less. If they accepted what I have spoken, they will also hear you. 21 Everything they do to you they will do on My account because they do not know the One who

has sent Me. 22 If I had not spoken within their hearing, they would not be guilty of sin; but now

they have no excuse for ignoring My voice. (John 15:1-22, the Voice)

Romans 3:23-24 (NLT): For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God

freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he

freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:23-24, NLT)

Romans 6:20-23 (NLT): When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And

what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in

eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God.

Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is

death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:20-23, NLT)

Romans 12:1-2 (NLT): And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God

because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find

acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this

world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will

learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, NLT)

2 Corinthians 2:12-18 (NKJV): Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily

at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same

veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in

Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when

one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of

the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of

the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of

the Lord. (2 Corinthians 2:12-18, NKJV)

Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV): I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I

always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until

the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6, NIV)

1 Timothy 1:15-17 (The Voice): Here’s a statement worthy of trust: Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating

King, came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them all. 16 But it is for this

reason I was given mercy: by displaying His perfect patience in me, the very worst of all sinners,

Jesus the Anointed could show that patience to all who would believe in Him and gain eternal

life. 17 May the King eternal, immortal, and invisible—the one and only God—now be honored

and glorified forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:15-17, the Voice)

1 John 3:1-3 (NIV): See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children

of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know

him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made

known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3, NIV)

1 John 5:9-15 (NIV): We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the

testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God

accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because

they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony:

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever

does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know

that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask

anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we

ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:9-15, NIV)

E.G. White References

The Desire of Ages, page 83: If Joseph and Mary had stayed their minds upon God by meditation and

prayer, they would have realized the sacredness of their trust, and would not have lost sight of

Jesus. By one day's neglect they lost the Saviour; but it cost them three days of anxious search to

find Him. So with us; by idle talk, evilspeaking, or neglect of prayer, we may in one day lose the

Saviour's presence, and it may take many days of sorrowful search to find Him, and regain the

peace that we have lost.

In our association with one another, we should take heed lest we forget Jesus, and pass along

unmindful that He is not with us. When we become absorbed in worldly things so that we have

no thought for Him in whom our hope of eternal life is centered, we separate ourselves from

Jesus and from the heavenly angels. These holy beings cannot remain where the Saviour's

presence is not desired, and His absence is not marked. This is why discouragement so often

exists among the professed followers of Christ.

Many attend religious services, and are refreshed and comforted by the word of God; but

through neglect of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they lose the blessing, and find

themselves more destitute than before they received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly

with them. They do not see that the fault is their own. By separating themselves from Jesus, they

have shut away the light of His presence.

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ.

We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing

ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more

constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we

would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the

cross.

As we associate together, we may be a blessing to one another. If we are Christ's, our sweetest

thoughts will be of Him. We shall love to talk of Him; and as we speak to one another of His love,

our hearts will be softened by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of His character, we shall

be "changed into the same image from glory to glory." 2 Cor. 3:18. (The Desire of Ages, page 83)

The Desire of Ages, pages 476-484: "I am the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the

sheep." "I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father

knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep."

Again Jesus found access to the minds of His hearers by the pathway of their familiar

associations. He had likened the Spirit's influence to the cool, refreshing water. He had

represented Himself as the light, the source of life and gladness to nature and to man. Now in a

beautiful pastoral picture He represents His relation to those that believe on Him. No picture was

more familiar to His hearers than this, and Christ's words linked it forever with Himself. Never

could the disciples look on the shepherds tending their flocks without recalling the Saviour's

lesson. They would see Christ in each faithful shepherd. They would see themselves in each

helpless and dependent flock.

This figure the prophet Isaiah had applied to the Messiah's mission, in the comforting words, "O

Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest

good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,

Behold your God! . . . He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His

arm, and carry them in His bosom." Isa. 40:9-11. David had sung, "The Lord is my shepherd;

(477) I shall not want." Ps. 23:1. And the Holy Spirit through Ezekiel had declared: "I will set up

one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them." "I will seek that which was lost, and bring

again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen

that which was sick." "And I will make with them a covenant of peace." "And they shall no more

be a prey to the heathen; . . . but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid." Ezek.

34:23, 16, 25, 28.

Christ applied these prophecies to Himself, and He showed the contrast between His own

character and that of the leaders in Israel. The Pharisees had just driven one from the fold,

because he dared to bear witness to the power of Christ. They had cut off a soul whom the True

Shepherd was drawing to Himself. In this they had shown themselves ignorant of the work

committed to them, and unworthy of their trust as shepherds of the flock. Jesus now set before

them the contrast between them and the Good Shepherd, and He pointed to Himself as the real

keeper of the Lord's flock. Before doing this, however, He speaks of Himself under another figure.

He said, "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way,

the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the

sheep." The Pharisees did not discern that these words were spoken against them. When they

reasoned in their hearts as to the meaning, Jesus told them plainly, "I am the door: by Me if any

man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not,

but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they

might have it more abundantly."

Christ is the door to the fold of God. Through this door all His children, from the earliest times,

have found entrance. In Jesus, as shown in types, as shadowed in symbols, as manifested in the

revelation of the prophets, as unveiled in the lessons given to His disciples, and in the miracles

wrought for the sons of men, they have beheld "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of

the world" (John 1:29), and through Him they are brought within the fold of His grace. Many

have come presenting other objects for the faith of the world; ceremonies and systems have

been devised by which men hope to receive justification and peace with God, and thus find

entrance to His fold. But the only door is Christ, and all who have interposed something to take

the place (478) of Christ, all who have tried to enter the fold in some other way, are thieves and

robbers.

The Pharisees had not entered by the door. They had climbed into the fold by another way than

Christ, and they were not fulfilling the work of the true shepherd. The priests and rulers, the

scribes and Pharisees, destroyed the living pastures, and defiled the wellsprings of the water of

life. Faithfully do the words of inspiration describe those false shepherds: "The diseased have ye

not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that

which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away; . . . but with force

and with cruelty have ye ruled them." Ezek. 34:4.

In all ages, philosophers and teachers have been presenting to the world theories by which to

satisfy the soul's need. Every heathen nation has had its great teachers and religious systems

offering some other means of redemption than Christ, turning the eyes of men away from the

Father's face, and filling their hearts with fear of Him who has given them only blessing. The

trend of their work is to rob God of that which is His own, both by creation and by redemption.

And these false teachers rob man as well. Millions of human beings are bound down under false

religions, in the bondage of slavish fear, of stolid indifference, toiling like beasts of burden, bereft

of hope or joy or aspiration here, and with only a dull fear of the hereafter. It is the gospel of the

grace of God alone that can uplift the soul. The contemplation of the love of God manifested in

His Son will stir the heart and arouse the powers of the soul as nothing else can. Christ came that

He might re-create the image of God in man; and whoever turns men away from Christ is turning

them away from the source of true development; he is defrauding them of the hope and purpose

and glory of life. He is a thief and a robber.

"He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep." Christ is both the door and the

shepherd. He enters in by Himself. It is through His own sacrifice that He becomes the shepherd

of the sheep. "To Him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear His voice: and He calleth His own

sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth

before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice."

Of all creatures the sheep is one of the most timid and helpless, and in the East the shepherd's

care for his flock is untiring and incessant. (479) Anciently as now there was little security

outside of the walled towns. Marauders from the roving border tribes, or beasts of prey from

their hiding places in the rocks, lay in wait to plunder the flocks. The shepherd watched his

charge, knowing that it was at the peril of his own life. Jacob, who kept the flocks of Laban in the

pasture grounds of Haran, describing his own unwearied labor, said, "In the day the drought

consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes." Gen. 31:40. And it

was while guarding his father's sheep that the boy David, single-handed, encountered the lion

and the bear, and rescued from their teeth the stolen lamb.

As the shepherd leads his flock over the rocky hills, through forest and wild ravines, to grassy

nooks by the riverside; as he watches them on the mountains through the lonely night, shielding

from robbers, caring tenderly for the sickly and feeble, his life comes to be one with theirs. A

strong and tender attachment unites him to the objects of his care. However large the flock, the

shepherd knows every sheep. Every one has its name, and responds to the name at the

shepherd's call.

As an earthly shepherd knows his sheep, so does the divine Shepherd know His flock that are

scattered throughout the world. "Ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your

God, saith the Lord God." Jesus says, "I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine." "I have

graven thee upon the palms of My hands." Ezek. 34:31; Isa. 43:1; 49:16.

Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by

name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times

given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find

one of His sheep. (480) Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom

the Saviour died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He

came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, "Follow Me," and His Spirit moves upon their

hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He

also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, "My

sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." He cares for each one as if there

were not another on the face of the earth.

"He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. . . . And the sheep follow Him: for

they know His voice." The Eastern shepherd does not drive his sheep. He depends not upon force

or fear; but going before, he calls them. They know his voice, and obey the call. So does the

Saviour-Shepherd with His sheep. The Scripture says, "Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the

hand of Moses and Aaron." Through the prophet, Jesus declares, "I have loved thee with an

everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." He compels none to follow

Him. "I drew them," He says, "with cords of a man, with bands of love." Ps. 77:20; Jer. 31:3;

Hosea 11:4.

It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of

Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour's matchless love, revealed throughout His

pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary's cross, and the sight of Him

attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear

His voice, and they follow Him.

As the shepherd goes before his sheep, himself first encountering the perils of the way, so does

Jesus with His people. "When He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them." The way

to heaven is consecrated by the Saviour's footprints. The path may be steep and rugged, but

Jesus has traveled that way; His feet have pressed down the cruel thorns, to make the pathway

easier for us. Every burden that we are called to bear He Himself has borne.

Though now He has ascended to the presence of God, and shares the throne of the universe,

Jesus has lost none of His compassionate nature. Today the same tender, sympathizing heart is

open to all the woes of humanity. Today the hand that was pierced is reached forth to bless more

abundantly His people that are in the world. "And they shall never perish, neither shall any man

pluck them out of My hand." (483) The soul that has given himself to Christ is more precious in

His sight than the whole world. The Saviour would have passed through the agony of Calvary

that one might be saved in His kingdom. He will never abandon one for whom He has died.

Unless His followers choose to leave Him, He will hold them fast.

Through all our trials we have a never-failing Helper. He does not leave us alone to struggle with

temptation, to battle with evil, and be finally crushed with burdens and sorrow. Though now He

is hidden from mortal sight, the ear of faith can hear His voice saying, Fear not; I am with you. "I

am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore." Rev. 1:18. I have endured

your sorrows, experienced your struggles, encountered your temptations. I know your tears; I

also have wept. The griefs that lie too deep to be breathed into any human ear, I know. Think not

that you are desolate and forsaken. Though your pain touch no responsive chord in any heart on

earth, look unto Me, and live. "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My

kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith

the Lord that hath mercy on thee." Isa. 54:10.

However much a shepherd may love his sheep, he loves his sons and daughters more. Jesus is not

only our shepherd; He is our "everlasting Father." And He says, "I know Mine own, and Mine own

know Me, even as the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father." John 10:14, 15, R. V. What a

statement is this!--the only-begotten Son, He who is in the bosom of the Father, He whom God

has declared to be "the Man that is My fellow" (Zech. 13:7),--the communion between Him and

the eternal God is taken to represent the communion between Christ and His children on the

earth!

Because we are the gift of His Father, and the reward of His work, Jesus loves us. He loves us as

His children. Reader, He loves you. Heaven itself can bestow nothing greater, nothing better.

Therefore trust.

Jesus thought upon the souls all over the earth who were misled by false shepherds. Those whom

He longed to gather as the sheep of His pasture were scattered among wolves, and He said,

"Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My

voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd." John 10:16, R. V.

"Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again." That

is, My Father has so loved you, that (484) He even loves Me more for giving My life to redeem

you. In becoming your substitute and surety, by surrendering My life, by taking your liabilities,

your transgressions, I am endeared to My Father.

"I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of

Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." While as a member of

the human family He was mortal, as God He was the fountain of life for the world. He could have

withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion; but voluntarily He laid

down His life, that He might bring life and immortality to light. He bore the sin of the world,

endured its curse, yielded up His life as a sacrifice, that men might not eternally die. "Surely He

hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. . . . He was wounded for our transgressions, He

was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes

we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;

and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isa. 53:4-6.

(The Desire of Ages, pages 476-484)

My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

January 8: Abraham built an altar … and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar …

(Genesis 22:9)

This event is a picture of the mistake we make in thinking that the ultimate God wants of us is

the sacrifice of death. What God wants is the sacrifice through death which enables us to do

what Jesus did, that is, sacrifice our lives. Not – “Lord, I am ready to go with You … to death”

(Luke 22:33). But – “I am willing to be identified with Your death so that I may sacrifice my life to

God.”

We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from this error,

and the same process is at work in our lives. God never tells us to give up things just for the sake

of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having,

namely, life with Himself. It is a matter of loosening the bands that hold back our lives. Those

bands are loosened immediately by identification with the death of Jesus. Then we enter into a

relationship with God whereby we may sacrifice our lives to Him.

It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death. He wants you to be a “living sacrifice” – to

let Him have all your strengths that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus (Romans

12:1). This is what is acceptable to God. (January 8)

Bad Enough to be Saved: Good Enough to be Lost, Rich DuBose

Evidentially the only action required of me is that I accept this remarkable gift. From there God

takes over, cancels my debt, and over time transforms me into his image. In other words, my

salvation is all God’s doing! Now that’s amazing! How can I not pursue this kind of love?

“I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is

finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6).

My church attendance, tithe paying and Bible reading in no way entitles me to any portion of

God’s grace. Such deeds are merely evidence that I have heard the call. Make no mistake, I’m not

pursuing religion, or even trying to be a good church member, as much as I am chasing after the

only one who has ever loved me unconditionally. It is my only hope!

From the book Bad Enough to be Saved: Good Enough to be Lost by Rich DuBose – the chapter

titled My Only Hope. To purchase the book on iTunes, click here; to purchase it for a Kindle,

click here; to purchase it for a Nook, click here.