Rick Warren - Pleasing God By Setting Faith Goals
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Summary
In this second message of the «Shaping Your Future Self» series, Rick Warren teaches that pleasing God requires faith, expressed through setting faith goals, based on Hebrews 11:6 which states that without faith it is impossible to please God. He explains six reasons why setting goals in faith is powerful for personal growth—it’s a spiritual responsibility, a statement of faith, focuses energy, builds endurance and character, and will be rewarded both now and eternally. The practical conclusion is to create a 100-day plan with one personal and one ministry goal that honors God, is motivated by love, and requires dependence on Him.
Introduction to the Series
If you take out your message notes from last weekend, I started a brand new series for our new year, and I’m calling this series «Shaping Your Future Self.» My goal is to help you think through a plan to become the person you want to be. You know the fact of life is that we can’t control all the stuff that happens around us, but you do have complete control over the choices you make and the ways you choose to respond.
Now, if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that long-range plans can be detoured very quickly, right? So, how do you plan your life in uncertain times like the ones we’re going through right now? Well, the Bible says that planning is a wise thing to do, but it also says we have to be humble about planning. We really should use what I call scenario planning: if this happens, we’ll do this, and if that happens, we’ll do that. As James chapter 4, verse 15 says in the New Living Translation, «What you ought to say is, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'» So, we make our plans with a grain of salt.
This past Wednesday, I told our staff that in uncertain times, when you can’t make long-range plans, you shouldn’t just give up and make no plans at all. You shouldn’t just drift along and let outside circumstances run your life. Some of you have been doing that; you’ve just been drifting for the last year or two. Instead, the more uncertain the time is, the shorter the plans you make. You should make short-term plans and even hold those plans with an open hand, with a grain of salt.
The 100-Day Plan
So, I told the staff, and then I asked them to make a 100-day plan. It’s about 95 or so days until Easter, so I said let’s make a 100-day plan, and I want you to base your plan on two questions. I’m going to ask you to consider those same two questions at the end of this message. Now, we’re going to talk about how to shape your future self. You don’t want to stay the way you are; you want to grow. You want to think about who you really want to be. What do you want your life to count for? How do you want to contribute with your life?
The first principle of shaping your future self and becoming who you want to be is to learn the principle of praising God, even when you don’t feel like it. That’s what we talked about last week in part one: the power of praise.
You know, this past week, I have literally been inundated with notes and emails from people saying that message was the most important message they’d ever heard. In fact, it turned out to be a life-changing message for many, many people who wrote to me. So, if you missed that message from part one, «The Awesome Power of Praise, » I want you to catch up by watching that message online at saddleback.com.
Now, today we’re going to look at the second principle for shaping your future self and becoming the person you want to be, no matter what happens around you. We can’t control all that, but we can control what happens to you. The second principle in shaping your future self is the principle of faith, and the title of today’s message I’m calling «Pleasing God by Setting Faith Goals.»
The Importance of Faith
Hebrews 11:6 says this: «Without faith, it is impossible to please God.» It’s pretty clear: the only way you can please God is not by your complaints or anything else, but you please God when you trust Him. You please God when you depend on Him. You please God when you act in faith. Now, as your pastor, here’s what I want to do to help you today. First, I want to explain six reasons that goal setting in faith is so powerful in changing your life, just like praise, which we talked about last week. Why is setting faith goals so important? Then we’ll talk about some tips on how to do that.
Okay, number one, you might write these down: first, goal setting is a spiritual responsibility. You may not have thought that, but goal setting is actually a spiritual responsibility. The Bible says God sets goals. He sets goals for history; He sets goals for the universe; He sets goals for the earth; He sets goals for you. The Bible says that Jesus sets goals. He had many examples in His ministry, and as you read the scriptures, all the great people in the Bible set goals in faith. One good example is Paul.
The apostle Paul, in Philippians chapter 3, verses 12 to 15, says this: «I know that I’m not yet what God wants me to be.» Do you realize that in your life? You know that you’re not yet what God wants you to be. «I know I’m not what God wants me to be; I haven’t reached that goal, but I keep moving toward it to make it mine because Jesus Christ made me and saved me for this. I know I haven’t reached my goal, but there’s one thing I always do: forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep my eyes focused on the goal.» Now, that’s the third time he’s used that word «goal.» «I keep my eyes focused on the goal so that I may one day win the prize that God has called me to receive through Christ in the life above.» Then he says, «All of you who are spiritually mature should think this same way too.»
Now, if you’re taking notes, I want you to circle the word «goal» three times in that passage. Paul was goal-oriented. He set goals in faith, as did Jesus, as did all of the great men and women in the scriptures. You’re going to go through life either by design or by default. You either plan your life, or your life just drifts; you either go by design or by default. If you don’t have any goals, you’re just drifting; you’re allowing other people to direct your life. Now, as we’re calling this series «Shaping Your Future Self, » you’re going to have to set some spiritual goals. It’s a responsibility.
Goals as Statements of Faith
Number two, goals are statements of faith. Every time you make a goal, you’re actually stating, «I believe God is going to help me accomplish this by such and such a time or date. I believe God wants me to do this.» That’s a statement of faith. Goals stretch your faith. In Ephesians chapter 3, verse 20, it says this: «God can do anything; far more than you could ever imagine or guess or dare to request in your wildest dreams» (I love that in the message). Now, two of the common mistakes we make in setting goals by faith are: we set them too low, and we try to accomplish them too quickly. You see, you’ve never really believed God until you’ve attempted something you can’t do in your own power. If you can do it in your own power, it’s not a faith goal. So you set it a little bit out of your reach. We overestimate what we can do in a year, but we underestimate what we can do in five years. We overestimate what we can do in a week, but we underestimate what we can do in two or three months.
Now, during this series on shaping your future self, I want to dare you to dream great dreams for your life. Let me say that again: as your pastor who loves you, I want you to dream great dreams for your life. I dare you! You know, I’ve done it all my life. I’ve dreamed great dreams for my life. Why? Because dreaming doesn’t cost anything. You don’t have to have any money to dream. Now, what’s the difference between a goal and a dream? Well, a dream is a goal with a deadline; it’s time-dated. If you don’t put a deadline on your dream, it’s just a dream. But if you put a deadline on your dream and set a date, it’s a goal, and that’s a statement of faith.
Jesus said it like this in Matthew chapter 9, verse 29: «According to your faith, it will be done to you.» You get to choose how much I bless your life. So set big goals. You see, nothing happens in your life until you set a faith goal.
Now, let me give you a little tip: when I ask you to set some 100-day plan goals for your life, the most important question you’re going to ask yourself is this: «Will this goal require me to have faith in God?» Will this goal force me to trust God? If you can do it on your own power, you know that’s not a faith goal. Will this goal require me to trust God and have faith in God?
Goals Focus Energy and Build Endurance
Here’s the third benefit of faith goals: goals focus my energy.
Now, you know as well as I do that the world is full of distractions, right? I mean, everything distracts you. We’re in a very ADD culture; everything distracts you, and there’s everything trying to get your attention. But only a few things really matter, and the secret of effectiveness is focus. If you want your life to count, if you want your life to matter, if you want your life to burn for God, the secret of effectiveness is to focus. It’s not these 40 things; it’s one thing I do. Paul says it like this when he talks about faith goals in 1 Corinthians 9:26: «I do not run without a goal.» He says, «I fight like a boxer who’s hitting something; I’m not just hitting the air; I’m not just shadow boxing.» He says, «I’m not just playing around.» Have you been playing around with your life during COVID? It’s time to start shaping your future self and not just let circumstances control your life.
Let me give you a fourth factor about goals: goals keep me going. Goals give you endurance; they give you diligence; they give you persistence. Goals give me hope to keep moving forward. If you don’t have any goals, you’re hopeless. Goals give me the power to persist, the power to endure. You see, without a goal, you don’t really have any reason to get out of bed. Without a goal, people tend to just give up. A good example of this is how Job felt. Job 6:11 says, «I do not have the strength to endure, and I do not have a goal that encourages me to carry on.» Did you notice that goals are what give you encouragement? If you don’t have any goals in your life, you’re probably discouraged.
Many years ago, I read a study of Holocaust survivors—people who survived the Nazi death camps. As you know, over six million Jews lost their lives in those death camps. We once did a civil forum here at Saddleback where I invited six Holocaust survivors who had lived in the camps and made it through to give their testimonies at Saddleback Church, and the one thing they had in common was they had something to look forward to. They had a goal in their life. You see, a goal keeps you from being discouraged by short-term setbacks. You’re gonna have setbacks in life; we all have setbacks. Nobody goes through life without setbacks. But goals encourage you.
Now, listen, a goal doesn’t have to be big to motivate you. You can take baby step goals and be motivated by each small step. You know, in the last couple of months, I’ve had a couple of hospital stays. I noticed that when you’re in the hospital, nurses come in, and they have you set small daily goals. I remember the first daily goal was, «Can you sit up?» Okay? «Can you eat?» Then there’s the goal of, «Can you get out of bed?» «Can you go to the bathroom?» There’s a goal of, «Can you walk the hall with your IV?» «Can you make it through the week?» They’re individual goals that can keep you motivated; they don’t have to be big; they just have to be clear.
Now, listen, if you’re discouraged right now as we’re starting this new year, you need to set some new goals.
Goals Build Character and Are Rewarded
Let me give you a fifth reason why we’re talking about this: goals build my character. Goals build my character. Let me let you know a little secret here: Why am I teaching this to you? Because the greatest benefit of faith goals is not what you achieve; it’s what you become in the process. Faith goals shape your future self. We set our goals, and they shape us. You see, while you’re working on your faith goal, God is going to be working on you, and that’s what’s going to last for eternity: your character.
In Philippians chapter 3, verse 12, Paul says this: «I keep striving toward the goal.» In other words, I don’t give up; I keep making it inch by inch, baby step by baby step. Now, I want you to write this down, okay? If you’re taking notes, write this down: «I will never become what God intends me to be without intention.» I will never become what God intends me to be without intention. Do you intend to be any different by the end of this year? Let me just be frank. See, there are people here sitting beside you who are not going to be any different; they’re not going to be any better at the end of this year. Why? Because they never intended to be. They’re just going to drift through the year; they will never set any faith goals.
Let me give you one other reason why we’re talking about this weekend: Good goals will be rewarded. Good goals will be rewarded, and I want you to get those goals. I don’t want you to miss out on those goals. As your pastor who loves you, I want you to be rewarded. Now, there are two ways that you’re rewarded for good goals. First, you’re rewarded by people here on earth, and second, you’re rewarded by God in eternity—forever.
Let me show you a couple of verses. Proverbs 11:27 in today’s English version says this: «If your goals are good, you will be respected.» Whoa, everybody wants to be respected. R-E-S-P-E-C-T—we all want to be respected; we all want to have dignity; we all want people to value us. It says, «If your goals are good, you will be respected.» That’s what the Bible says; that’s what God says.
You know, this Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Why do we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday? Because he had selfish goals? No. Because he gave his life to unselfish goals. He lived his life for the benefit of others. I want to remind you that Martin Luther King Jr. was first and foremost a Christian and a pastor. He was a Baptist pastor. He did what he did for the global glory of God. So, you’re going to be rewarded by other people when your goals are good. We honor people who have unselfish goals, like Martin Luther King Jr. and others. But never forget that your real reward is one that’s going to last forever, and we find this all through scripture.
1 Corinthians 9:25 says this: «All athletes practice strict self-control, and they do it to win a prize that will fade away.» We’re getting ready to go into the next Olympics, and the athletes have been working out for years. They practice to win a prize, but that prize is going to fade away. But we do it; we set goals and practice for an eternal prize. That’s why Paul says, «So I run straight to the goal»—there’s that word again—«with purpose in every step» (New Living Translation). I want you to be a purpose-driven goal setter this year.
Practical Steps for 100-Day Goals
Now, I’ve given you six reasons why this is the next step in shaping your future self: First, praising God, the power of praise, whether you feel like it or not, changes your life. Second, having faith—without faith, it’s impossible to please God—and we show our faith by setting faith goals. Now let’s get practical.
Let me give you your next step in shaping your future self: For the rest of your life, I’m only asking you to think about the next 100 days in your life. That’s all I’m asking: the next 100 days. This weekend, sometime, I want you to get alone by yourself, and I want you to be quiet for a few minutes. I want you to consider two questions. These are the same questions that I asked our staff to consider and send me their answers last Wednesday. Here are the two questions:
1. What’s the most important personal goal I’d like to accomplish in the next 100 days, with God’s help?
2. What’s the most important ministry goal I’d like to accomplish in the next 100 days, with God’s help?
Now, what’s ministry? Helping somebody else. I don’t want you just to have a self-centered goal. I want you to have a goal to help somebody else. Anytime you help someone else in the name of Jesus, that’s called your ministry. The Bible says we’re all called to ministry. We weren’t put here just to live for ourselves; we were put here to help other people. So have one personal goal and then have one goal to help somebody else. What’s my ministry goal? Not for the rest of my life, just for the next 100 days—a way to help somebody else.
Evaluating Your Goals
Now, let me give you some qualifiers: Not every goal in life is a good goal, and not every goal will shape your future self, and not every goal is a goal that God blesses. So what kind of goals does God bless? Well, let me suggest three simple questions that will help you evaluate your goals as you think about, «Is this the goal I want for the next 100 days?»
Here’s the first question: Will God honor this goal? Will this goal honor God? You see, if it doesn’t honor God, then how can it be pleasing to God? Well, what kind of goal brings glory to God? Well, it’s not that hard. Anything that causes you to love Him more, to trust Him more, to serve Him more, to be more grateful, to be more patient, to be more usable—any goal that causes you to be more of a bridge builder. You know this. Anything that causes you to be more loving, more faithful, more patient—any of the fruit of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:20 says this: «God paid a great price for you, so use your body to honor God.» That might be something you want to do with your body. What can I do that will honor God in the next 100 days?
1 Corinthians 10:31—look at this verse on your outline—says, «When you eat or you drink or you do anything, always do it to honor God.» He said, «Wait a minute. Does everything honor God?» How did you know that everything can be done for God’s glory? You can take out the trash for God’s glory; you can wash the dishes for God’s glory; you can do your laundry for God’s glory. Everything can be done for God’s glory. How? With the right attitude—with gratitude to God and right motivation to honor and love Him. Okay? So, literally, anything you can do—you can clean out your car for the glory of God—but you do it with an attitude of gratitude and an attitude of praise, as we talked about last week.
2 Corinthians 5:9—I hope this will be a good verse for the next 100 days for you—says, «We make it our goal to please Him.» So the first question is, will this goal honor God? A lot of goals could be very selfish or self-centered. Will this goal honor God?
The second question is: Is this goal motivated by love? That’s a good question as you sit and think, «What are the goals I want to have in the next 100 days?» Can I do this in love? God’s not going to honor a goal motivated by greed. God’s not going to honor a goal motivated by ego. God’s not going to honor a goal motivated by competition. God is not going to honor a goal motivated by guilt. Did you hear that? God is not going to honor a goal motivated by shame, jealousy, envy, or materialism. If you’re going to set a God-given, Holy Spirit-inspired goal, it’s got to be done in love.
1 Corinthians 16:14 says this: «Everything you do must be done with love.» And 1 Corinthians 14:1 says, «Let love be your highest goal.» Now, why does God want us to do everything with love? Well, here’s why: The problem with loveless goals is they typically end up treating everybody and even yourself as objects to be manipulated. You use things; you use people to get the things. No, you are to use things and love people. Use things; love people. When you get that reversed, you’re going to be in trouble because if you love things, you’re going to use people to get to them.
Now, here’s the third question. First, will this goal honor God? Second, can this goal be done in love? Here’s the third one: Will this goal require depending on God? That’s the faith question. Remember, «Without faith, it is impossible to please God.» Romans 14:23 says, «Everything that does not come from faith is sin.» So whatever goal you set, if you can’t do it in faith, if it’s not going to cause me to trust God, then it’s not really the right thing. Whatever doesn’t come from faith is sin.
Proverbs 16:9—look at this verse on your outline—says this: «We plan the ways we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.» I love that in the message translation.
Resources Needed for Goals
Now, I’ve given you six reasons why you need to set some personal goals and some ministry goals for the next 100 days. I’ve given you three biblical ways to evaluate if it’s a good goal or not. Now you’re going to need three things, and I just want to remind you of these. These are the three resources you’re going to need in the next 100 days and actually into the future for shaping your future self. You’re not going to shape your future self or become the woman or man you want to be without these three things.
Write these down:
1. I will need God’s Spirit to empower me. I will need God’s Spirit to empower me. That’s why it’s a faith goal. One of my favorite verses in the Bible, Zechariah 4:6, says, «You will not succeed by your own strength or power, but by my Spirit, » says the Lord. I preached on that verse at the first service of Saddleback when Kay and I started with just the two of us, and we were starting. We said, «Where is this thing going?» «You will not succeed by your own strength or power, but by my Spirit, » says the Lord, and the last 42 years are evidence of that verse.
I’m going to need God’s Spirit to empower me.
2. I’m going to need God’s Word to guide me. Okay? You’ve got to get in this book, and the more you spend in this book, the more guidance you’re going to get for your goals. I can think of an example when Moses gave Joshua a huge goal—actually, God gave Joshua the goal—when Joshua was given this huge goal: «You’re going to take the entire nation of Israel into the promised land that I promised to give you. You’re going to have to fight for it to possess it.» Joshua had every reason to be frightened by the goal. «God, this is too big. I could not possibly do this.» As I said, you’ve never really believed God until you’ve attempted something you can’t do in your own power.
But in Joshua chapter 1, verse 8, God says this to Joshua: «Joshua, keep this book of the law»—that’s the Bible—«on your lips.» In other words, talk about it; recite it day and night—«that you may be careful to carefully follow all that is written in it.» He says, «If you do that, then you’ll successfully attain your goal.» Do you know that’s the only promise of success in the Bible? Joshua 1:6-8 says God gives you success when you do what He tells you to do in His Word.
All you need to know about shaping your future self—about becoming who you really want to be—all you need to know about shaping your future self is in this book.
I’m going to need God’s Spirit to empower me; I’m going to need God’s Word to guide me.
And here’s the third thing you’re going to need in the next 100 days and into the future: I will need God’s people to support me. I can’t do it on my own. We weren’t meant to be all alone. It’s not good for you to be alone. God hates loneliness. That’s why He created a spiritual family called the church.
In Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verse 12, He says this: «By yourself, you’re unprotected, but with a friend, you can face the worst.» «And a group of three is even better; it’s like a rope because a rope braided with three strands is not easily snapped.»
Homework and Closing Prayer
All right, this has been a simple message today, but here’s your homework. Here’s how I want you to get started: If you’re going to begin on shaping your future self and you’re going to set some goals for the next 100 days, you need to do these things.
First, be here at worship every week in this series, okay? If you missed last week’s message on the power of praise, you need to go watch it. Don’t miss any step or any session in shaping your future self.
Second, I want you to share your 100-day goals in your small group this week. Okay? I want you to share with your small group so they can pray for you and support you. Now, if you’re not in a small group, no problem. We can easily help you start a small group. We can easily help you get into a group. If you will just go out to the patio at your campus, there’ll probably be a table out there that can help you with that, or you can write the word «small group» on your registration communication card. Drop it in the basket in a minute. Just write «small group» and your name and contact information, or you can text «small group»—one word, «small group»—to 83000. Those three different ways will help you get the support you need. You’re not going to be able to accomplish this on your own. You’re going to need other people supporting you, and I want you to share your goals with your small group this week.
Finally, just like I asked our staff to do, I want you to let me know your 100-day faith goals, okay? So I can pray for you. If you will email me, here’s the email: [email protected]. Just say, «Rick, here are the goals that I’m setting in faith for the next 100 days for my life.» Your pastor, me, will pray for you.
Now, this week in your small group, remember to share your goals, and you share with me, and together we’ll all be working and praying together. It’s going to be an exciting 100 days.
Now, let’s pray together. Would you bow your heads?
Father, we know that You’re going to do some amazing things in the next 100 days in the lives of our Saddleback family. We know that with setting goals in faith—praising You in advance—lives are going to be changed. We know that families are going to be saved; friendships are going to be made; some people are going to get engaged; miracles are going to happen. We’re going to thank You in advance for what’s going to happen. We’re already thanking You for what’s happening in the hearts of people.
And Father, I want to pray that our people here will not just simply listen to this message and do nothing about it; they’ll miss out on the blessing if they do that. But I pray we’ll be doers of the word. I pray that they’ll get serious about shaping their future selves, stop being blown around, drifting, and just being guided by circumstances. Lord, we want to begin the process of intentionally living on purpose, shaping our future selves. Help us to ask the question: «What do I need to do today to get to where I need to be tomorrow?»
Now that heads are still bowed, I want you to pray. Why don’t you pray something like this? «Father, I don’t want to be stuck. I don’t want to remain the same. I don’t want to just drift through another year. And Lord, regardless of what happens this year, I want to be different, and I want to be better, and I want to grow in character. So, Father, in faith, I’m asking You to help me set some faith goals for the next 100 days, and I’m asking Your Spirit to empower me to accomplish these goals. I can’t do it on my own power; willpower is not enough. I’m asking you to guide me through Your Word, and I commit to being a part of a small group of people where I can give and receive support. So today, with great hope, Lord, in faith, I’m looking forward to the next 100 days of growth. Thank You in advance for Your help and for the ways You’re going to help me change and reach these goals. In Your name, I pray, amen.»