New Beginnings - The beginning of a new year is always a good time to take inventory of our lives. But also keep in mind that once a year is not often enough with the Lord because He is always doing something new.
The Lord is always at work in His Church
We are to be living purposefully and intentionally for the King
2010 is a year to return to basics
We should regularly look to recalibrate ourselves in the Lord: repenting where necessary and securing our foundations
Live our lives before the Lord with Vision, Passion, Discipline, and Risk (Courage)
Living with Discipline – By engaging the spiritual disciplines, we put ourselves in the way of God’s grace in us. We do what we can so that God will do in us what only He can:
Reading the Bible
Fasting
Prayer
Fellowship
Hospitality
Giving and Tithing
Sharing in the sufferings of Christ
Worship and Adoration
Giving thanks and Humility
Prophetic Advice
1 This 5:21 – Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good… Which so many things thrown at us these days, be sure to exercise caution: test thing, try them to see if they hold the integrity of truth
Finish the race and finish strong
Remember Terah in Gen 11:32 – He did not finish his journey and stopped along the way and left the journey to be finished by the next generation. As for us, let us finish our journeys so that the generation free from our obligations, free to follow their own course in the Lord.
I recently read a book that proposed a challenging hypothetical situation. I am going to adapt it for use here: Imagine that in the next year, you will reach 1,000 people with the good news about Jesus Christ. Knowing that you will never be able to know all these people well, you will never get a chance to have Bible studies together, you will never have a chance to enjoy an hour together over a cup of cup of coffee, what is important that they learn from you in just a few moments together?
After much thought, my answer is this: Jesus saves. Jesus transforms. Jesus sends. Each of these is somewhat intertwined with the others. Each is (or at least should be) ongoing.
So what has being a follower of Jesus Christ meant to you today? How are you experiencing salvation? How are you being transformed? How has Jesus used you as an instrument to bring salvation and transformation to another?
If you died today, would your faith have mattered to anyone but you? How? (Leave a comment by clicking on the “Comment” link above.)
This is an important question, because at any given moment, the Church is always one generation away from extinction. On the flipside, if you were the only Christian on earth and you discipled one person this year… and then you each discipled one more person next year and so on, every person on earth would be a disciple of Jesus Christ in 35 years! So what will your legacy be: a faith that is one step closer to extinction, or will you give your life to make disciples who make disciples and see the world come to follow Jesus?
Paul is our example in 2 Timothy 2:2 -
…what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Paul is looking 4 generations down the line. He disciples Timothy (2nd generation) who is to disciple faithful men (3rd generation) who can disciple others also (4th generation). If you’re not sure if your faith matters, look around and find someone in your life who needs Jesus Christ. Don’t just stand and point the way, walk with them until they have learned to follow and then release them to lead another. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. (You get the point!)
When the men of LSC gather together, the result is a great time of fellowship, some great conversation, and of course – food! Over the past couple of years, much of our conversations have centered around living out our faith not just inside the walls of the church, but also out in the world. Here are some highlights of those conversations. The following chart compared an old understanding of faith & ministry verses the new.
OLD MODEL OF MINISTRY NEW MODEL OF MINISTRY
Meeting oriented Home and market place oriented
Ministry gifts/talents only All gifts/talents recognized
Activity Service from the heart
Clergy leads Leaders lead
Expression in Church emphasized Expression in life emphasized
No evaluation of results Measurement of progress
What can you do for church How church can help you succeed
Tradition maintenance Effectiveness focused
Irrelevant Vital
Motion Results
Appearance Substance
No measurement Measurement of effectiveness
Life of existence Life of purpose
Expression frustrated Expression enabled
Love, passion goes cold Fire kindled inside
Vision missing & focus on self Greater, more noble purpose
In Isaiah 55:8, God reminds us that, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Basically, to some degree, we’re all like the family in the video – our understanding of Jesus is limited and/or somewhat skewed.
We are called to be Jesus’ disciples. We are called to follow in His ways. We are called to undertake God’s mission the same way that Jesus did (Jn 5:19). Unfortunately, a limited or skewed understanding of Jesus inhibitis our capacity to follow Him. The only way for us to answer this call to discipleship is to know the ways of the One we are following.
How will you go about rediscovering Jesus in your life today so that you can grow from your limited understanding of Jesus towards a fuller one that will allow you truly follow Him and become His disciple?
jlaughlin said Lately I have had a keen awareness that there is so much more that life could be - God is so much bigger. Lord, help me to find you and to learn to live in Your name....
