God has called you to be on a mission on this planet. There is no getting around that fact. And Jesus is our model of a life that was always on undistracted mission.
People were always coming to Jesus saying and doing things that could have distracted him from his mission. But he was always about that mission. Jesus said that he came to earth to seek and save the lost. Giving his life away meant that on a daily basis he would consider others more important that himself (Phil 2) and on the ultimate level when he died on the cross.
This instance of Jesus serving others comes from the Gospel of John and is just prior to his death. Knowing what was in front of him it may have been easy to have been distracted from his mission, but Jesus was not.
From John 13::
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? 7 Jesus answered him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. 8 Peter said to him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no share with me. 9 Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head! 10 Jesus said to him, The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you. 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, Not all of you are clean. 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
God has a mission for your life. You are God's missionary in the exact time and place where you are. Your school, job, family, friends, neighborhood and city are all places that God has put you to be on mission. Ask God to show you what it is and give you the strength to rise to it.
Missionary Part I
If Christ is in you, then you are missionary and you are told to be on a mission. There is no getting around this.
"In John's gospel alone, Jesus told us no less than 39 times that he was a missionary from heaven who came to minister incarnationally to an earthly culture. Further more, Jesus has called us to be missionaries in culture as he was. (John 20:21'as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.') The Father sent Jesus into a specific time and culture as our example."
- Mark Driscoll from "The Church and the Supremacy of Christ
A few of those 39 times are:
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
John 5:23 Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
John 5:30 can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
These are just three of the times in the gospel of John where Jesus talks about being sent by God. Know this, God has placed in you the time and the place where you currently find yourself for a purpose. That purpose is to live a life sent by God. That is what being a missionary is, one who is sent on a mission. God has sent you on a mission and Jesus is your model.
"In John's gospel alone, Jesus told us no less than 39 times that he was a missionary from heaven who came to minister incarnationally to an earthly culture. Further more, Jesus has called us to be missionaries in culture as he was. (John 20:21'as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.') The Father sent Jesus into a specific time and culture as our example."
- Mark Driscoll from "The Church and the Supremacy of Christ
A few of those 39 times are:
John 4:34 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
John 5:23 Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
John 5:30 can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
These are just three of the times in the gospel of John where Jesus talks about being sent by God. Know this, God has placed in you the time and the place where you currently find yourself for a purpose. That purpose is to live a life sent by God. That is what being a missionary is, one who is sent on a mission. God has sent you on a mission and Jesus is your model.
Thought Provoking Christmas Quotes
God himself shows up, the hope, reality, liberty of God is breaking into the world. In the middle of day to day living, God is breaking in, He is coming near. That is the baby in the stall, that is Christmas, the infinite one who could not be contained by a thousand galaxies, born in a feeding trough.
-Jonathan MacIntosh
Bring your peace into our violence
-Chris Rice
With the poetry of the season you can think yourself to silence.
-Alister Beig
Son of God, love's oure light
Radiant beams from Thy Holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord at Thy birth, Jesus Lord at Thy birth.
-Joseph Mohr
-Jonathan MacIntosh
Bring your peace into our violence
-Chris Rice
With the poetry of the season you can think yourself to silence.
-Alister Beig
Son of God, love's oure light
Radiant beams from Thy Holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord at Thy birth, Jesus Lord at Thy birth.
-Joseph Mohr
Gospel centered ministry
I found this on line from a friend and it is really good stuff.
Gospel centered ministry is characterized by...
Empowered corporate worship. The gospel changes our relationship with God from one of hostility or slavish compliance to one of intimacy and joy. The core dynamic of gospel-centered ministry is therefore worship and fervent prayer. In corporate worship God’s people receive a special life-transforming sight of the worth and beauty of God, and then give back to God suitable expressions of his worth. At the heart of corporate worship is the ministry of the Word. Preaching should be expository (explaining the text of Scripture) and Christ-centered (expounding all biblical themes as climaxing in Christ and his work of salvation). Its ultimate goal, however, is not simply to teach but to lead the hearers to worship, individual and corporate, that strengthens their inner being to do the will of God.
From www.gospelcoalition.org
Gospel centered ministry is characterized by...
Empowered corporate worship. The gospel changes our relationship with God from one of hostility or slavish compliance to one of intimacy and joy. The core dynamic of gospel-centered ministry is therefore worship and fervent prayer. In corporate worship God’s people receive a special life-transforming sight of the worth and beauty of God, and then give back to God suitable expressions of his worth. At the heart of corporate worship is the ministry of the Word. Preaching should be expository (explaining the text of Scripture) and Christ-centered (expounding all biblical themes as climaxing in Christ and his work of salvation). Its ultimate goal, however, is not simply to teach but to lead the hearers to worship, individual and corporate, that strengthens their inner being to do the will of God.
From www.gospelcoalition.org
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts was a pastor and theologian from England. He was born in 1674. He was known as a desenter, which means he rebelled against the church of England in favor of establishment independant congregation that was free from government regulations on church. He spoke Latin at age 4 and Greek by 9. There was a divide among churches of the day about singing. One group that followed John Calvin said that only the Psalms could be sung. Another was led by Martin Luther and he encouraged personally written hymns. Most of the people of the day aligned themselves with Calvin. Watts and his father, who was a pastor argued this point. Watts' father challenged him to write a song for their church and he did. In 1707 he finished his first book of hymns, which spread all over the world and created a large debate. He was accussed of compromising the truth of scripture in favor of creativity and art.
"If one could pray spontaneously to God, why would it be any different to sing so?" In 1712 he broke mentally and physically and tried to step down, but his congregation gave him some time off to think through the issue.
We still sing some of his songs today. Among them are When I Survey the Wonderous Cross and Joy to the World. The singing to God from the heart that is present in many churches today are done so thanks in large part to the work of Isaac Watts.
The following song is a lesser known song of His that has captured my mind this week. Here is a link you can use to see other Isaac Watts hymns http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/isaac_watts/
I sing th' almighty power of God,
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
And built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained
The sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God's command,
And all the stars obey.
2. I sing the goodness of the Lord,
Who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word,
And then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed,
Wherever I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread,
Or gaze upon the sky.
3. There's not a plant or flower below,
But makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow,
By order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee
Is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be,
Thou, God art present there.
"If one could pray spontaneously to God, why would it be any different to sing so?" In 1712 he broke mentally and physically and tried to step down, but his congregation gave him some time off to think through the issue.
We still sing some of his songs today. Among them are When I Survey the Wonderous Cross and Joy to the World. The singing to God from the heart that is present in many churches today are done so thanks in large part to the work of Isaac Watts.
The following song is a lesser known song of His that has captured my mind this week. Here is a link you can use to see other Isaac Watts hymns http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/isaac_watts/
I sing th' almighty power of God,
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
And built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained
The sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God's command,
And all the stars obey.
2. I sing the goodness of the Lord,
Who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word,
And then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed,
Wherever I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread,
Or gaze upon the sky.
3. There's not a plant or flower below,
But makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow,
By order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee
Is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be,
Thou, God art present there.
Merimnao
I preached from Matthew 6:25-33 yesterday and this word merimnao appears in this passage 6 times. As I wrestled with that text last week in preperation for the message, I realized that is the lens through which we must see this segment of teaching.
The word actually means to be anxious or troubled with cares or to scan minutely. That last addition came from a webstie that I just found. It is http://regreek.com/ and I suggest checking it out. Think on that thought for a while, what does it mean to scan something minutely. Think about it in the context of this verse where the same word appears::
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Be not troubled today.
The word actually means to be anxious or troubled with cares or to scan minutely. That last addition came from a webstie that I just found. It is http://regreek.com/ and I suggest checking it out. Think on that thought for a while, what does it mean to scan something minutely. Think about it in the context of this verse where the same word appears::
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Be not troubled today.
the unending wrestling match
Romans 7:14-8:2
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Life in the Spirit
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 . Standard Bible Society: Wheaton
I had a conversation with a friend yesterday over lunch. I am not sure of his thoughts on God. He is old high school friend and I have just recently began to reconnect with him. He is open to discussion about lots of topics so I asked him about his thoughts on religion and Jesus. He said that he wants to do what is right, but sometimes he fails. That got me to thinking about the scripture that is above.
In recent days I had been thinking about this passage, because of personal reasons. I am struggling with surrednering my selfishness and being consumed with God. But I fail and snap back into pleasing myself. I have been given courage by this hero Paul and his continual struggle with the enemy that is within him called the flesh.
There is not a solution that I have come up with for this deal, no neat ending for me to post here on this blog. There is only courage to be taken that all wrestle with the war of the flesh and the spirit. Paul, me, my friend from high school and you. No matter where you are in your relationship with God, you will fight this fight.
Whatever!
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Life in the Spirit
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 . Standard Bible Society: Wheaton
I had a conversation with a friend yesterday over lunch. I am not sure of his thoughts on God. He is old high school friend and I have just recently began to reconnect with him. He is open to discussion about lots of topics so I asked him about his thoughts on religion and Jesus. He said that he wants to do what is right, but sometimes he fails. That got me to thinking about the scripture that is above.
In recent days I had been thinking about this passage, because of personal reasons. I am struggling with surrednering my selfishness and being consumed with God. But I fail and snap back into pleasing myself. I have been given courage by this hero Paul and his continual struggle with the enemy that is within him called the flesh.
There is not a solution that I have come up with for this deal, no neat ending for me to post here on this blog. There is only courage to be taken that all wrestle with the war of the flesh and the spirit. Paul, me, my friend from high school and you. No matter where you are in your relationship with God, you will fight this fight.
Whatever!
Keller Quote
I quoted Tim keller yesterday to wrap up the message. It came as the passage I used ended with "you cannot serve both God and money." The whole of the passage is having an eternal focus and what you allow to attract you and it uses the eye of the mind metaphor.
It seems to be a good idea to put that quote here:: "Of all the masters, Jesus is the only one who fulfills and if you fail Him, He dies for you."
Freedom is such a misunderstood thing. We are in a time where freedom is paramount and religion is shunned because it takes away our freedom. But none of us our truly free. We are all slaves to something. Jesus is the only master that will never change or leave you in want or abandon you when you fail.
It seems to be a good idea to put that quote here:: "Of all the masters, Jesus is the only one who fulfills and if you fail Him, He dies for you."
Freedom is such a misunderstood thing. We are in a time where freedom is paramount and religion is shunned because it takes away our freedom. But none of us our truly free. We are all slaves to something. Jesus is the only master that will never change or leave you in want or abandon you when you fail.
