Series: Clean Sweep Week 1 (Got A Minute) 02.12.06

Romans 14:8 – For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

In order to live a full life we need to live life for God. And to live for God you need to do God’s will. To do this we need to slow down, figure out where we are going in life and where we fit into God’s plan. So today I ask you, “Got a minute?” because I’m going to bring up three questions that will help you slow your life down. So my first question is:

What’s the rush?

Genesis 2:2-3 – Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

In Genesis we have God here and he is done with his work, he has just got down creating a world, what is the first thing he does? He reflects and he chills out. He knows that he’s got a planet to run, but he isn’t in a rush to get started, he wants to think about and observe his creation. Even God himself needs to rest, and see that’s funny because the person who created the whole world has time to rest, but the people he created don’t. Why are we always rushing around trying to do more? When God created the earth he created the Sabbath which the catechism explains as:

345 The sabbath—the end of the work of the six days. The sacred text says that “on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done,” that the “heavens and the earth were finished,” and that God “rested” on this day and sanctified and blessed it. These inspired words are rich in profitable instruction.

347 Creation was fashioned with a view to the sabbath and therefore for the worship and adoration of God. Worship is inscribed in the order of creation.

So we need to spend this day in prayer and worship God. Most of us do that by going to Mass or by coming to Resurrection, but Mass doesn’t take all day, Resurrection might seem long but it’s only an hour…so what do we do with the other 22 hours of the Sabbath? Worship doesn’t just mean going to Mass or Resurrection, it means prayer, reflection, and honoring God.
I know it’s hard when you don’t have a car, or much say over your schedule, but think about this how many of you play 2 sports in a single season, how many of you leave your homework till Sunday night, how many of spend Sundays watching television or sleeping the whole day? As middle school students you might not have control over your whole weekend; however, you still have control on a lot of things. When you make time for the Sabbath you will find that the rest of the week will slow down for you.

Where are you going?

Now I’m not asking you where you are going this weekend, or where do you go on Sunday? But where are you going in life? What are your goals and to how are you trying to achieve these goals. So I guess the question is what path are you taking?

Matthew 7:13-14 – “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
There are so many times in our lives where we try and do the easy thing. When our parents ask us to clean our rooms we throw things in the closet or under the bed. When we do homework we try and get the answers from our parents instead of trying to do the work ourselves. When we cut corners and take the easier path we are only cheating ourselves and cheating others. In Matthew it says that those that take the wide gate and the broad path that it leads to destruction. So those that take the easy way are only heading down the wrong road. But those that take the narrow gate with the constricted road are taking the road that leads to life.

What’s holding you back from God?

Is it your possessions, it your friends, is it your family? In Mark a man goes up to Jesus to tell him that he is following the right path. Listen to what Jesus says:

Mark 10:20 – 22 – “He replied and said to him, ‘Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

Jesus saw that the man still had things he needed to do. But as we see in this story the man could not do what God asked. It’s easy to understand why the man acted this way, the passage from Matthew told us that the road that Jesus wants us to take is tough, and narrow. Who wants to do something difficult when you can do something easy? Well, I’m going to put this out just plainly, if you want to experience pure joy, if you want to experience pure love, if you want to get into heaven, you need to have a relationship with God. The sooner you start a relationship with God, the sooner you will be on the path that leads to heaven. I don’t want you to think it’s too late. Just think about what you are doing now and ask yourself if it is purposeful or if it is taking you down the wide and narrow path?