The Serenity Prayer

INTRO:
It is good to see all of you back again this evening.

The Serenity Prayer is one of the most widely known prayers in existence. It was written and published by Reinhold Niebuhr in 1951, although he had used it much earlier in a sermon in 1943. Although only the first four lines are usually quoted there is more to it. The full quote is;

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.

Please understand the Serenity Prayer is not found anywhere in the bible. However, I do like the message that is found in it, especially those first 4 lines. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference between the two.

I want to start the lesson this evening talking about things that we cannot change, that we may wish were different, but learning to just accept them, be at peace and be content, with where we are, who we are, and the condition that we're in. Second, I also want to look at things that we can change, we should change, and we are expected to change.

I. Accepting Things I Can Not Change: We're going to start by talking about things that we cannot change that we need to learn to be content with. In Jeremiah 13:23 the text says; “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.” I'd like to answer this first question here.

A. Can the Ethiopian change his skin? If you don't know an Ethiopian is an African, a black individual. Can he change his skin? No, he shouldn't want to change his skin. He should be quite comfortable in his skin. A leopard can not change its spots, nor is it likely a leopard would want to.

1. There are certain things that we can not change, that we may wish were different, we may even pray that they're different, but we can't change them.
2. The best thing we can do is to learn to be content with whatever it is and remember what the apostle Paul said, he learned to be content in whatever condition, whatever state he was in, What we recognize here is we, like Paul, can be content and at peace even though there are circumstances and situations that are not the way we want them to be.

B. Over in Matthew 6:27 it says; “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Answer that question for yourself. How many of you by worrying about how tall you are can make yourself taller? You may be able to wear platform shoes but you're still just as tall as your body is going to be and you're not going to get taller.
C. There are some things that you may be able to change about your appearance physically.

1. You may be able to dye the color of your hair, but it's still the real color underneath the dye. You can't change your age physically. I'm as old as I am. That's just the way it is. Now age change is legal act. I have read it is recognized in practically all legal systems, and allows a person to adopt an age different from their age at birth. The procedures and ease of an age change depend on the jurisdiction. In general, common law jurisdictions have rather loose limitations on age change, while civil law jurisdictions are quite restrictive. But I ask you, if a person were to legally change their age, would their length of time on earth really be any different? Some people get very concerned about how old they are.
2. My word to you is, be at peace with where you are and who you are. Be at peace with the body God has blessed you with. There are some things you may be able to change, you may be able to exercise and get a little bit more physically fit. You may be able to lose a little weight, but the truth of the matter is physically speaking, you are who you are.
3. Be content and be at peace with who you are. Worrying about things you cannot change in your physical body, that are there regardless of how much you may wish they were different, won’t change them. Worry is not going to change your age, nor is it going to change your height.
4. Skin color is not going to change. You may be able to put some dye on it or tan it for a little while, but it's going to come right back to whatever color it normally is. Be at peace with who you are.

D. In Second Samuel chapter 12, in the context David has committed adultery with Bathsheba. Bathsheba conceives. David has been told by the prophet Nathan that this child is going to die. I'm going to begin reading and Verse 19; “19. When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?'' And they said, "He is dead.'' 20. So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.21. Then his servants said to him, "What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.'' 22. So he said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' 23. "But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

1. Unfortunately there's going to be times in your life when people you love, people you know, people in your own family, are going to die. When those moments come it is going to tear you apart inside. Please remember what David said here. Can I bring him back again? The answer is no.
2. People I know and love have passed away. They cannot come back to me. I can go to them.

i. I believe what the Scriptures mean when they say to die is better; to die is gain, to be with the Lord is far better. I believe what the scriptures say when they talk about when we depart from this life we will be the Lord. I draw great comfort from that.
ii. Those dear ones cannot come to me but I can go to them. The truth of the matter is I wouldn't want to bring them back even if I could, because we need to understand, finishing the race in Christ is what it's all about.
iii. There are going to be people whom you love, people that are very near and dear to you in your own immediate family, your father, your mother, your husband, your wife, perhaps even your children, who are going to finish the race ahead of you.
iv. It hurts to be separated from them. We need to realize to be with the Lord is far better. Be at peace and realize they finished the race ahead of us. Focus on doing the very best you can to finish the race, also in Christ, but there are things you cannot change. You cannot bring back your loved ones who have already finished the race.

E. In 2 Corinthians, in chapter 12, you see a situation where the Apostle Paul is involved in a circumstance that he does not like at all. He has a physical problem, he has an infirmity and he goes to God three times praying this infirmity would pass from him. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 says; “7. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

1. The Apostle Paul tells us he has an infirmity, a thorn in the flesh, the specific nature of it we're not really sure. Many have ideas but we're not really sure. The fact of the matter is he didn't like it. He didn't like living with this infirmity and he wanted it to be gone and he wanted to be healed. He went to God and prayed three times that the infirmity, the thorn, would be removed.
2. The answer given back to him was “my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness”. The fact of the matter is there are going to be times in our lives when we are going to have thorns in the flesh. We may find ourselves afflicted with some type of infirmity, illness, or sickness and we don't like it. We wish it were gone, we wish it were different. We may find ourselves going to God time after time, and day after day, praying “please Lord please remove the thorn please let me be healed. Let me feel normal again.”
3. We need to realize that the thorn may never be removed and that we may die with that infirmity and carry it all the way to our grave. That may be hard to hear, but we need to learn to be content in whatever condition we are in.

i. It will not be easy, it may be extremely difficult. Draw strength from the Lord remembering the Apostle Paul when he was imprisoned over in Rome and he was facing the possibility of having his life taken from him. Realize that he still had that infirmity while he was in prison, and that is where he says in the fourth chapter that he learned to be content in whatever condition that he was in. He followed up by saying in one of my favorite verses, I believe it's my most favorite if there is such a thing, Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
ii. In the text here he is talking about drawing strength from God and God is allowing this thorn to remain in order to strengthen Paul. It is the trying of your faith that is going to produce patience.

4. Sometimes God is going to allow us to go through fires and suffering in our life, in order to produce patience in our life, in order to make us stronger so that we can actually finish the race. It may be difficult to understand but there are times God allows the thorns to remain. If we cannot change it, continue to be at peace and content, even though the thorn is there.
5. Philippians 3:13 – “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,” You'll find if you read the writings of the Apostle Paul that it seems that the sins he committed at the very beginning of Christianity, when Christianity was growing, when Jews started persecuting the church, and Paul led the persecution against Christianity; those sins seem to have haunted him.

i. As a matter of fact when he wrote to Timothy he called himself the chief of sinners and he spoke about the situation time and time and time again in his ministry and his life as an apostle.
ii. But there's something very important here in Philippians 3:13. “Forget those things which are behind”. Let me ask you. Can we change yesterday? No.

F. The fact of the matter is we've all sinned, folks. We've all fallen short of the glory of God. There are things in each and every one of our lives that we are ashamed of. Sometimes these sins seem to hang on our conscience like chains of guilt. Learn to let it go, forget what is behind. You can be forgiven and make peace with God, to where the blood of Christ washes you, and where you are made as white as snow.

1. As I often tell people when you make peace with God make peace with yourself. When God forgives you don't be harder on yourself than God is.
2. Be at peace with yourself and forgive yourself. You can learn from your past sins but you cannot change the past. You can be forgiven of your past sins but you cannot change the past.

G. There are some things that we just cannot change, I cannot change my age. I cannot change my height, I cannot change the color of my skin, so the best thing for me to learn is just to accept Tom Blackford for who he is and be at peace with who I am.
H. I cannot change the fact that I have had loved ones pass from this life. The best thing I can do is use it to strengthen me, to give me a greater drive to want to go to be with my Lord and finish the race in Christ myself.
I. I can't change the fact that certain people I love and know have thorns that have not been removed yet, but we can use that to be strengthened rather than let it tear us down. I cannot change my past sins but I can be forgiven of them and learn from them and move on—and be at peace knowing I've been forgiven by God.

II. Change the Things I Can: Then there are some things that we can change. Colossians Chapter 3 is going to be the primary text we're going to be using. We're going to begin here in Colossians 3:5 – “5. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7. in which you also once walked when you lived in them.” Look at this. When he says put to death your members he's talking about various kinds of sin they were involved in from fornication to covetousness to idolatry to evil desire, we need to understand when he's telling them to put these things to death that the idea is; get rid of them completely. When something is dead it's gone.

A. We're talking about repentance. The point we need to understand is this. We have the power within us to repent. We do have the power within us to put off the old man. You do not have to sin. It is not genetically locked into your actions. It is not something that you are predetermined or predestined to do, to where you must sin.

1. You can and I can put off the old man. Continuing in the text now at verse 8. “8. But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ” Here again he tells you to put it off. From that we can derive it is possible to put these things off.
2. If you have a problem with your anger the worst thing you could do is say; “that's just the way I am, you-all are going to have to deal with it.” No. That is not the way of Christianity.

B. Listen folks, somewhere in this text that I'm reading to you from Colossians will be something hitting you. Every one of us here has spiritual weaknesses. Every one of us here has spiritual flaws where Satan has attacked us, he may be attacking us now and he will attack us in the future to get us to sin in these particular areas. This text is hitting every one of us. What we are expected to do is recognize where it's hitting us, where we have our spiritual flaws and we are to deal with it, by putting it off.

1. If the problem is anger, we are expected to put it off, to learn to be angry and sin not, to learn to be slow to wrath, to learn to pass over the transgression, to learn to not allow our anger to cause us to sin with our lips and our actions. We are expected to get it under control and put it off.
2. Getting back to the text here, what about lying? We do not have to lie. The Lord expects us to tell the truth. Whether it’s the truth about our self or the truth of the circumstances around us, Christians should be people that are known for their honesty. If you have a problem with lying or exaggerating, which again is lying, put it off. Stop it.
3. Back to the text here looking at a few others of these—filthy language out of our mouth. We should know we don't have to cuss. We don't have to use filthy language. We can control the tongue. Yes, James talks about how it is pretty tough to get that bridle on the tongue but not impossible. We are expected to get the bridle on our tongue to where we are controlling the words that come forth from our lips.

C. Continuing now in verse 10. “10. and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11. where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”

1. I want you to notice here that now we're talking about another aspect of repentance. A lot of times when we think about repentance we think about removing, stop doing these things. I am willing to recognize that there is a lot more to repentance than putting to death the old man and putting off the life of sin.
2. It includes a transformation that is taking place which is not just stopping, it is also starting. We stop going in one direction putting off the old man and then we go in a completely new direction putting on the new man. Let me ask you this question: Who is it that we put on? The answer is Christ.
3. Think on this. You put on a new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. We're talking about putting on Christ. Remember what Paul said, “it's no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life which I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Him self for me.”

D. In Christianity we want people to see Christ living through us. That is what we are doing. So much so that when someone wants to know, “what was Jesus like”, they should be able to look at us because we have put Him on. We have put on His humility we have put on His kindness we have put on His brotherly love, we've put Him on to where they see Christ shining and living through us. It's not just enough to put off the old man, put to death the old man. We are expected to put on Christ.

1. Look at this now continuing in verse 12. “12. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13. bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
2. Put on tender mercies. Put on kindness. Put on humility. Put on meekness. Put on long suffering. Put on being willing to forbear, and put up with one another. Put on being willing to forgive as Christ forgave you—put on Christ. Put it another way, you need to have love.

III. Repentance: We all have the ability to repent—but it is an ongoing process. When you obey the Gospel you are expected to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. You are expected to put to death the old man and to put on Christ. Please understand though, you do not have the humility of Christ the day you obey the Gospel. You do not have the humility and the meekness and the longsuffering and the kindness and the tenderness of Christ—even now. You haven't reached it. Is there anyone here that can say I have in my life attained to the kindness of Jesus Christ?

A. The point here is this, repentance is not point action, it is linear, it is a walk, a journey. It is a process we began when we obeyed the gospel, and it is a process that we will continue every day of our life. That is why if we're continuing to walk by faith and live by faith, and if we find we are going in the wrong direction, we'll get up, we’ll ask forgiveness of it, and then we’ll get back into the race.
B. We are expected on a day to day basis to grow in these Christian attributes, to where eventually they are in us and abounding. We will start off as a babe in Christ, but we are expected in our life as a Christian to grow stronger, and stronger, and stronger continually, to where we have put on Christ and grown in the Christian attributes enough—so that people actually see in the way we live, Christ shining through and living through us.
C. I’ve heard it said this way and I believe it is true, repentance is the living by faith. Mull that over for awhile. Repentance is the living by faith. Remember Matthew 3:8 – “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” [KJV] What Jesus is saying should suggest to us the true relationship between repentance and the reformation of life. The reformation of life is not repentance itself but issues from repentance and is a direct result or "fruit" of repentance. We know that repentance cannot be the reformation of life by looking at the words of Jesus who said: “if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him.''” (Luke 17:4).
D. We're talking about a product of faith and living by it, and continuing to grow in it. The point we need to see is this, we still need to change and become stronger Christians tomorrow than we were today.

1. If I sinned this day, I need to ask God's forgiveness of it and I am expected to put off the sin and try to do better tomorrow. I cannot change the sins which I’ve committed today but I can be forgiven of them and I am expected to not just say; “well that is just the way I am”. No. We're expected to continually grow and do better tomorrow than we did today. Continually being more like Christ every day.
2. We need to understand this and think of repentance as a continual process. Faith is a day to day aspect of our life, confession is a day to day aspect of our life, and repentance is a day to day aspect of our life.
3. It is a daily aspect of our life to continue to grow in the word, to continue to change into the image of Christ. There's only one thing in Christianity that you do one time and that's it—baptism. You're baptized into the body of Christ and after that you live by faith.

IV. Serving: One other point and I’ll wrap this up. In James 2:15-16 – “15. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16. and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,'' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” Familiar words indeed.

A. The first text we were studying from Colossians is talking about our ability to change ourselves, our ability to repent, to put off the old man, to put on the new man, to conform ourselves to the image of Christ. We should recognize though, that we as Christians are also expected to get involved in other people's lives where we are able to bring about an actual change and effect in their life.
B. Here you have a brother or sister who is destitute of daily food. We have the power within our own hands to help this brother or sister in Christ to share with them our food. It is our gift from God. We are expected to bring about change in the lives of other people.
C. We are expected to not pass by on the other side, but to take time in our lives, to take resources from what God has granted us, to make an effort with our own hands, to get involved in the lives of the people around us, who are hurting emotionally, who are hurting physically, who are hurting spiritually, and do the best we can to bring about change for good in their lives.
D. You remember the command from Galatians 6:2 – “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” .

CONCLUSION:
Let us then consider this evening. Wouldn't you get from that phrase and so fulfill the law of Christ wouldn’t you consider that to be a pretty important command, a major part of Christianity?

Folks, when someone is hurting, they're hurting physically, hurting emotionally, hurting spiritually or they're just lonely, when you come into their life and you take time out to help them have that pain removed—that is a major part of Christianity. Striving to bring about change in the lives of people around us for the good to where we try to help them heal their wounds and carry their burdens and deal with their spiritual struggles. It's important for us to be able to recognize that we can help change other people's lives.

The serenity prayer is not part of the word of God, and I recognize that, but I like the serenity prayer. I think the message in it is very good. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. There are a lot of things I cannot change. I do not like them, but I cannot change them.

The best thing I can learn to do with them is just be peace, be content, and go forward in my life as a Christian. Be strengthened by the thorns, use the passing of loved ones to give me an even greater desire to finish the race myself, to accept who I am, and where I am. I've been forgiven. I can learn from it and move on.

You know Tom Blackford has spiritual problems and I'm expected to look at myself and see myself the way I really am, to see myself the way the Lord sees me, and when I see sin in my life and I look in the spiritual mirror, I'm expected to deal with it, and I'm expected to try to be stronger tomorrow than I am today.

I am expected to try to see people in the world around me and slow down and get involved in their lives, understanding that's what Christianity in its main part is all about. Bearing one another's burdens and try to bring about the changes which I am expected to do and able to do, with the gifts God has given me.

I appreciate your kind attention. There may be somebody here this evening who is not a member of the body of Christ. Do you know you can change? You can change that situation. You can be a member of the body of Christ tonight. You can be saved and leave this building tonight as a child of God in the body of Christ, you are a free willed being with the power of choice.

I would like to encourage you to choose to obey the gospel. If you believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God openly confess that faith, repent of your sins, start living by faith and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as you put off the old man and put on Christ.
We’ll be glad to assist you, baptizing you for the remission of your sins and God adds you to His Kingdom.

You will be a child of God. You will be a Christian in the body of Christ. What is expected of you then is to take up your cross daily, to follow Him and live by faith.
If you are child of God already and there's sin in your life and you recognize that sin is separating you from God, I would like to encourage you to deal with it. You can change, yes you can. You don't have to do it. You don't have to sin. You can change.

Change motivated by godly sorrow, turning from your sin and coming home to the father. We will pray for you, we will pray with you and do the very best we can to encourage you. If you're subject to the Gospel call in any way let it be made known while we stand and sing the song has been selected.

Invitation song: ???

Reference sermon: Wayne Fancher