Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
January 11, 2015 - W1502

Today, I want to talk about the Third Resolution for the New Year, that is, Learn What Things To Let Go, And What Things To Hold On.  Don’t get them mixed up because sometimes we hold on to things we should let go and let go of things we should hold on.

 We have all experienced disappointments, setbacks, struggles—prayers that were not answered, a relationship that never materialized, etc.  One resolution we should make this year is just three words:  Let it go.  Let’s read from John 15:1-2,“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

 At our family farm in Oregon, we have a small apple orchard.  Every spring the trees will have shoots growing from a branch called “suckers.”  These suckers have leaves but produce no fruit and I cut them off.  Then there are some branches that will have about 12 apples on them and I will actually pull off some of the good apples (about a bushel) because if I don’t, there will not be enough nutrients in the branches to support all the apples and we will end up with “scrub” apples.  In doing this, the rest of the apples will have the necessary nutrients to grow a fine orchard.

 RESOLUTION 1:  LOOK FOR WHAT I MUST LET GO.  Our problem is to learn what to let go, such as, worry and disappointments otherwise we will attend a weekly “pity” party of regrets asking, “Why didn’t I get that raise?” “Why didn’t I get that prayer answered?”  This only leads to dead-end roads with a life of “scrub” apples that lead to frustration, regret, self-pity, etc.  Learn how to release them.

 True, there are some things we face that are not fair, but if you don’t let it go it will hinder your forward progress.  You’ll still be alive but you won’t grow deeper—instead, that habit becomes a pattern, then your identity.  You must learn to let it go!

 God promised in Isaiah 61:3, “To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”  God cannot give you beauty for ashes until you let go of the ashes; He cannot give you oil of gladness until you are willing to let go of the mourning.  There are seasons of mourning when a loved one dies, but if we are not careful that season can turn into a lifetime of mourning, and you will be living in the past.  God also promised a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

 I don’t know about you, but I want New Hope to have the oil of gladness, the garment of praise, and beauty for ashes.  That means we must let go of the ashes, the mourning, and the spirit of heaviness.  It’s one of the best resolutions you can make this year—Know what to let go and what to hold on to!

 When you let go of something, it doesn’t mean that you have capitulated or have given up.  It really means you stepped up and your trust in God is more than the eye can see!  The reason is that when you let go, you are saying, “I’m trusting God.”  Why?  Because Romans 8:28 says, “For we know that all things work together for good.”  My trust is in God—not in what I can see or how I feel.  I know that God knows best and that He will take care of me, even if what I see is not ideal.  Then heaven will say, “I haven’t seen this kind of faith in all of Hawaii.”  Faith is more than the eye can see!

 But you say, “Pastor Wayne, God is not my concern, it’s the devil.  What if the devil gets in?”  Let’s read Genesis 50:20,“Even though you planned evil against me, God planned good to come out of it,” so it doesn’t matter.  The bottom line is God will look out for you and make it work out for your good.  Let it go and watch God—His ways are higher and better than ours; otherwise, you will live a life of disappointment.   

 A Canadian evangelist preached divine healing and taught the people that going to a doctor or taking medicine was a lack of faith.  One day he became very ill but refused to see a doctor until he became so weak and could not get out of bed.  His wife got friends to take him to the hospital. They gave him a regimen of large doses of penicillin for three days and the fever broke and he was on the mend.  When he was lucid and able to talk, his wife apologized for taking him to the hospital against his wishes.  He said, “No, I learned something.  I still believe in divine healing but I will not tell God how to heal.”

 Sometimes we have to learn to let go of old mindsets—the way we think.  If you fully commit your life to God, He won’t answer all your prayers but one day you’ll look back and say, “Thank you God that you didn’t answer that prayer.”  If you expect to always have things your way and for God to answer every one of your prayers, you will live a discouraged life.

 When I was 31, I pastored a church in Hilo with about 28 people.   We met in a Women’s club; the church began growing until we needed a larger place.  One day I found a large building with a small building attached which could be used for Sunday school.  There was enough space on both sides of the building for parking.  I began praying, fasting, negotiating with the owners, and claiming the property it in Jesus’ name, but God kept saying, “No, just leave it.”  (When you commit your life to God, He will not answer all your prayers the way you want Him to.) 

 A few years later, a Jewish man came to see me and said he had 20 acres of land.  He was 78 years old and had no one to leave the property to and said he’ll give me 20 acres for $120,000.  All he needed was a little income for the rest of his life.  I said, “I’ll take it.”  After 22 years, the Hilo church has several buildings, a beautiful park for weddings, a parking lot for 300 cars, including a softball field.  God knows what our future is and what is best for us and sometimes He will say no to our prayers.  But later you will be glad you waited for God.

 The Book of Daniel tells of three captive boys from Jerusalem taken to Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a huge golden image of himself and ordered the people to bow down and worship the image when the music played.  If anyone refused to bow, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace.  The three young men refused to bow down to the idol.  Daniel 3:17-18 says,“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and He will deliver us from your hand, O King, but if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods.”

 Faith is praying for something as much as you can, do all you can, but tell God, “Even if you do not answer, I will still serve you.  I will still love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  I will continue to worship you.”  Jesus exampled this at Gethsemane when He said, “Father not my will but thy will be done.”  We have to learn to let go of certain things because it won’t always happen our way.

 Here’s a lesson I learned: 

·         Anchor yourself in your future not in your past.  Jeremiah 19:11 says,“I know the plans I have for you, plans for a future and a hope.” God is focused on your future; you should be too.  If you anchor is on your past, it will be a weight that will pull you back.  If you anchor yourself in the future, you will believe in the vision God has for you.  It will act like an engine with a thrust that will move you forward.  Anchor your life in your future.

 I didn’t understand about my mother’s death.  Why did she have to die?  Why wasn’t she chosen for the dialysis?  You might be asking, “Why did the divorce happen?”  “Why didn’t I get the job?”  “Why didn’t you answer my prayers?”  A man told me once, “Wayne, don’t put a question mark where God put a period.”  You cannot let things beyond the scope of your present understanding hold you hostage to your past.  Anchor your life in your future, not in your past.

 Some time ago I was asked to mediate between a pastor and the youth pastor.  The youth pastor had held an offense against someone in the congregation.  He felt the pastor should have reprimanded this person more severely, perhaps disqualify the person from the church.  I spent about five hours trying to resolve the situation.  The youth pastor just would not let it go.  It had nothing to do with him but he just took the offense into his life.  I said please let God take care of this but he wouldn’t.  Fast forward.  The youth pastor had such a struggle letting go of the offense.  Later, he and his wife got a divorce and he lost his job.  We must learn to let go of certain things otherwise we will be in trouble. 

 Letting go is not capitulating and giving up, it is trusting God.  Trust is more than the eye can see. 

·         Develop an “I don’t know” file.  Sometimes we just have to say, “I don’t know,” and learn to trust God.  I write my “I don’t know” question on a piece of paper and put it in a basket in my brain.  Soon the basket is full and I get a file cabinet.   

As time goes by God will take one of the questions you had several years ago and now you have the understanding.  You won’t understand everything at first but God will work it out for your good.  He is working when you don’t see or understand.   God’s timing is different from ours.  His ways are higher and better.  Proverbs 20:24 NLT, “Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, so why try to understand everything along the way?”Faith is far more than the eye can see.  One of the best resolutions for this year is make an “I don’t know file.”  Remember, when God says no He has something better—More Than The Eye Can See!

 RESOLUTION 2.  LOOK FOR WHAT I MUST REPAIR AND WHAT I MUST HOLD ON TO.   There are a lot of things that we need to repair in our lives.  Repair what is your responsibility and hold on to it.  God expects us to maintain what He gives us (gifts, family, etc.) and not throw it away.  We need to know what to hold on to. 

 I Peter 5:7 says,“Cast your cares upon the Lord for He cares for you.”  Notice, God did not say cast your responsibilities on the Lord.  Don’t let go of your assignment, calling, and responsibilities. You should repair them.  Do let go of cares (worries, fears, the demands of having things your way).  Even if you don’t see it, God is aware of everything that is going on.  Be faithful to what God is asking you to do.

 Jesus was in the home of Simon the leper when a woman came in and used an alabaster box of costly perfume and anointed Jesus’ head with it and was criticized for it.  Let’s read what Jesus said, Mark 14:8,“She has done a good thing.  She has done what she could.” Part of the gospel is doing what you can do and trusting God to do what we cannot.  Focus on what you can change and change it.  That’s the trust factor.  Do what you do with an excellent attitude.  When God sees that, He will move on your behalf.  Often we throw away what we should hang on to and hang on to something we should let go.

 FAITH IS MORE THAN THE EYE CAN SEE!

 STUDY QUESTIONS:

1.      What reason did Pastor Wayne give for pulling off some perfectly fine apples from the branch? 

2.      What happens when we don’t let go of certain things?

3.      What things should we let go?

4.      What things should we hold on to?

5.      What kind of church does Pastor Wayne want New Hope to be?awaii.  B