Devotionals @ The Mount Church

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10:39

I’ve often heard said that the safest place to be is in God’s will. God’s will, however, rarely feels as if it is a safe place. Perhaps it is because it is just that-God’s will, not your own. The name itself encompasses a giving up of control and a deep trust in another’s, a letting go of personal desires in order to pursue His desire. This in and of itself is terrifying. Combined then with the job description Christ gives to a missionary, it is a wonder anyone willingly leaves the home front.

In his book, The Barbarian Way, Erwin McManus describes one who is called to missions as having lost their sanity. And it is a good thing. It is a good thing because it demonstrates a deeper trust in the Creator than in what the world believes brings security; there is a greater love for the Father than for the family, and a clearer vision of eternity than immediacy. Life (as we tend to think of it) must not be sought after-it is imperative that one die to this concept, and in the end, truly live.

I feel that this is a true concept for the entire Christian life, no matter what vocation-as you grow in your faith, the things that you once found “life” in are slowly stripped away, and a greater joy, a greater life is found in Christ. This is the Christian life. Our prayer today, however, focuses on the specific vocation of missions, and just as Christ commanded in Matthew 9:38, so we pray that the Lord of the harvest would send out laborers into His harvest.

pray that we might hear His call

Following Christ’s prayer that laborers might be sent out, Christ commissions his disciples. In Matthew 10:1-4, the disciples were named and given authority to do the work of the Lord. Those He calls, He also equips to do the work of the Lord. Piper warns that one’s calling is never beyond question-you will not find a verse with your name on it and God’s detailed plan for your life, and it is doubtful that He would write your calling on the wall or in the sky.

Instead, we must cultivate a heart that is sensitive to His Spirit, that knows His word (and therefore His heart), and that is faithful with what He entrusts us. A sweet friend of mine often reminded me that if the sheep long to stay near the Shepherd, He will not allow them to stray far. With a heart fully surrendered to the Lord, and a mind saturated with His word, we can then begin to look at ourselves as He’s designed us. What are your spiritual gifts? How has the Lord equipped you? What are you passionate about? Is there a particular group of people you have a heart to reach (nationality, age group, socioeconomic status, etc.)? These are not tell tale signs that this IS God’s will for your life, but it is important to be aware of how the Lord has made you-there is always a purpose! Pray that the Lord would give you insight into your own heart, and that he would open each of our eyes to His will. Pray that we would be sensitive to His calling and to His word.

pray that we might count the cost

Christ gave his disciples instructions before he sent them out. He prepared them for the ministry they were about to undertake, and gave them great insight into what they would encounter, challenges both on a heart level and from others. They would have to rely on the Lord to provide for their physical needs-Christ instructed them to trust Him rather than store up their own provisions for the journey (v. 9-10). They were to risk rejection, and commended to persevere through it (v. 11-15). Interrogations and beatings were to be expected (Christ uses when, not if, in v. 16-19). Betrayal and hatred would be encountered (v. 21-22). The suffering that Christ endured, you are not beyond (v. 24-25). What the disciples were warned of, we also face today.

I have never met a missionary who did not have to rely on the Lord to provide for their needs, nor one who did not face rejection by at least some, if not all, of the people they were ministering to. I have friends who have been interrogated for hours on end, whose homes have been watched by secret police, who have had to flee their cities under cover of night. I have worked with girls who could not disclose their true jobs to their parents for fear of being disowned, or turned in. Others whose parents berate and belittle them for not pursuing a “real” job and success. And more have been killed as they faithfully serve.

Only a fool would enter into missions without first counting the costs: can you imagine arriving at your ministry site and encountering even one of these trials unexpectedly? One would return home in great fear, frustration, having been completely disheartened. Pray that we might have a realistic understanding of what it means to serve in missions. Pray that those God is calling to missions would understand the costs, and would not be paralyzed by the fear.

pray that we might remember the “but…”

“But God” might be my favorite phrase in the entire Bible. Any sentence that begins with this, carries with it a message of hope in spite of circumstance, justice in the face of adversity, and the absolute greatness of God over all things. While this passage does not contain this exact phrase, the concept remains the same. When warned of interrogations, we are also told not to worry, God will give you the words to say (v.19). Christ speaks of God’s care for the sparrows, “but even the hairs on your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows” (v. 29-31).

Just as I have never known a missionary who does not have to trust God to provide, I have never known one who has gone without. And in the end, “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (v. 39). Pray that above all else, we will keep our focus on Who we serve, and that our trust would reside in Him alone. Pray that we would know Him to be greater than the costs, and far more worthy of pursuit than anything this world has to offer.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Colossians 3:23,24

When I think of the church impacting the community around them, the first thoughts I have are concerning what actions need to take place. We need to feed the hungry. We need to clothe the poor. We need to give counsel to those in bondage. We need to offer help for hurting marriages and broken homes. We need to visit the sick and help the widows. The list goes on and on. And I can get tired and overwhelmed just thinking of all the needs around us in the community that we should try to address. It can be disheartening from the start because there are SO many needs in the community around us. Where do we start?

The first place we start is in our hearts. We ask God to give us a call to our place of service, and the commitment to work there. If our hearts are not responding to a call from God, then we will give a flurry of service to some aspect of need, and then it will be over. If our drive is our own, and not provided by God’s Holy Spirit empowering our lives, it will soon run out and we will leave our service unfinished. Our hearts are the starting place. Only when we are responding in obedience to God’s call will we know where and how to serve others. We start with prayer, and time in His word, and a heart that is quietly listening to His voice. And He will give us direction. He will move us to the place He wants us to serve. He will give us a passion for that one area of service that He wants us to use us in the lives of those around us.

The second place we start is with our heads. Once God has led our hearts to a place of service, we use our heads to decide that we will serve. It is interesting to note that the verse above is addressed to slaves. Wouldn’t a slave already have to work hard? Wouldn’t a slave know that complete dedication was required of him? Yes, he would. But the point of the verse is the motivation for that work. The slave is not to do it for his earthly master, he is to do it as unto the Lord. And that outlook requires a change of mind-an act of the will. When we respond like the slave is told to, by doing all our work with all our hearts for the Lord, then we will have an impact on the community around us. This choice we make to live and work for the glory of Christ will become a part of everything we do.

In Chip Ingram’s book “Good to Great in God’s Eyes” he tells of an incident where he was watching one of his friends pick up the floor, wipe out the sink, and wipe off the toilet seat in a dirty public restroom. When he asked why this friend was doing all this work in a place he would never return to, the friend’s reply was “A disciple of Christ always leaves everything better than he found it. Someone is going to sit on that seat later. Someone is going to wash his hands in that sink. I don’t know them, but I don’t need to . I just need to serve them. If Jesus where here, he would want something better for them.” Just think what our community would be like if we adopted that mindset. What would Clemson be like if we all left everything better than we found it? It sounds like such a small thing, but if it were done collectively, it would make a noticeable difference. And I am not just talking about cleaning public restrooms…I am talking about having this attitude in everything you do. Employees with this attitude would be noticed. Volunteers with this attitude would be noticed. Shoppers with this attitude would be noticed. Servers with this attitude would be noticed. It starts with your heart (God leading you to a place of service), then moves to you head (you choosing to work hard as unto the Lord), and then it ends with a team.

God very rarely uses lone rangers. Jesus sent his disciples out in twos. Paul took co-workers with him on his mission trips. It just makes sense that for fellowship, accountability, and sharing of the load, it is a good thing to work alongside others. In another chapter of Chip Ingram’s book, he tells of the philosophy of his church to “dream a dream and form a team”. He encouraged his congregation to ask God to give them a dream for ministry. This could have been within the church or outside in the community. Then they were to find others that shared that passion with them and write out a plan of how they desired to minister to their area of calling. In a team setting, there is encouragement, excitement and a wealth of ideas. There is fellowship, strengthening of faith, and someone to lift you up when you are down (Ecclesiastes 4:10). A team with a vision, a passion, and a servant mindset can make an unbelievable impact on our community. Lives would be affected, hearts would be healed, and Jesus would be seen in us through everything we did. That is an impact that the world cannot ignore.

ask yourself this

1. Have you asked God to lead your heart to a ministry He wants you to serve in through our church or community?
2. Have you decided with your will to do all the work that God calls you to do with all your heart so that He is glorified in all you do?
3. Will you step out in faith, dream and dream, and look for a team to help you serve?

prayer

Lord Jesus, it is with your power and leading that we want to serve those around us. We want to leave everything better than we found it. We want to show you to the world around us through the way we work and serve everyday. Empower us with your Holy Spirit. Give us your passion for those who are hurting. Lead us to each other as we look to minister together. And in all, be glorified by our lives surrendered to you alone. We love you, Amen.

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:13-16

I recently heard a man named Francis Chan speak on this passage (among other things). What he had to say was direct and challenging. When’s the last time you served God and the viewers responded with praise to God?

It is fairly common for us to serve, and for us to hear people say, “Oh, you did a great job with that.” Or, “God has really blessed you.” But when was the last time you served and someone said, “Wow, God is just so awesome!” Or, “I can’t believe God is like that!” That’s a lot different.

Francis wanted to pray for us, that we would experience the Holy Spirit in a way that two things would be noticeable: One, that we would know it wasn’t our own ability and strengths - when we serve, that the service and outcome come from the Holy Spirit. The second, that people would respond with praise to God, not us. That they would be so stunned by the outpouring of the Spirit that they can say nothing but, “That was God.”

We serve and people will see. We are an example of God. But a good example points to something else, not itself. That is my prayer for us today.

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

by Stuart Townend, Copyright:© 1995 Thankyou Music

Lord, we pray that we might understand your love for us.

How can we understand the love of God for us, His children? CAN we? Is it even possible? It almost seems to vast for us to comprehend. If you think about the unconditional love that your own parents had for you, or the selfless love you show to your own children, you may be able to start to try to grasp the idea a little better. The sacrifices: time, money effort… all that you do and give. All that was done and given to you. The joy, and the disappointment; and the continued heart of love throughout it all.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

When someone loves us so deeply and so vastly, as in the song “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” we may have all sorts of different feelings, different emotions, different realizations. I’m a wretch. I am ashamed. I am a scoffer. I am a sinner. I am not worthy. But look what God has done for us - the ultimate sacrifice made for us by His son. Only someone who loves us with a love that knows no limits would do what has been accomplished for us. He sees the worth in us.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:16-19

Read Galatians 5:15. Think about how this applies to our church specifically right now. Consider how this passage also reflects Christ’s church as a whole worldwide.

Now read Galatians 5:16-21. Does any of that sound like you, the life you are leading, the heart and soul you project? If so, how can the love of God be reflected through you and from you toward others? What can you do to try to change your heart, to put on more of a Christ-like attitude?

Verses 22- 26 list the “fruits of the spirit.” Test yourself. Humbly reflect and meditate upon each individual “fruit.” Pray that God may strengthen you in each of these areas, particularly your personal areas of weakness.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:46-47 (NAS)

About five years ago during The Mount’s “Purpose Driven Life” series, our church joined numerous other congregations across the country in instituting small, personal Bible-study groups called Life Groups, the impetus of which was derived directly from the New Testament. During that time, the Christian church met in people’s homes and ministered to those in the community directly and in a personal way. As George Barna with The Barna Group, a California-based organization for the leadership development; spiritual training, church facilitation and enhancement, said of the modern church:

“More believers are going back and looking at the early church, looking at the book of Acts and seeing these people who had such a vibrant faith. There were no positions, there were no salary scales, there were no programs. It was just people meeting in living rooms.”

Life Groups, then, are the embodiment of what the early church was all about. At The Mount, these small groups produce a non-threatening environment for non-believers and believers alike to share their despairs, failures, hopes, dreams and triumphs. To drive home the point that Christians are called to belong in a meaningful way to a local body of Christ, Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life, quoted Ephesians 2:19:

You are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.

Ephesians 2:19

So, as we should make other Christians feel welcome in our own households, they are also part of God’s family.

You are called to belong, not just believe.

Even in the perfect, sinless environment of Eden, God said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone.’ We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves.

The Bible knows nothing of solitary saints or spiritual hermits isolated from other believers and deprived of fellowship. The Bible says we are ‘put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, and held together and will be caught up together.’ You’re not on your own anymore.

The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren

point to ponder

Consequently at The Mount, many of the original life group leaders who started as leaders five years ago, are still leaders. While there is nothing wrong with this, God continually calls all of us to grow up in Christ and to serve in the church according to your spiritual gifts and talents. If you have a knack for teaching and taking on leadership roles, as yourself how God might help you either help to teach a life group or spring up a new one. If you don’t have that knack, pray for those who do that they might come forward and take on that role.

prayer

Father, thank you for providing us with the early church’s example of fellowship and love among groups of believers. I pray that our life groups at The Mount would continue to grow and become more vibrant in the community. I pray that you would call more leaders into this ministry according to your will so new life groups might be formed and more people would not only be able to fellowship and learn about you on a more personal level, but that others might also come to know you. In Christ’s name…