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…

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 4:12

The understanding that God was the vital third strand of any sincere relationship has taught me much about developing and maintaining friendships throughout my life. In these particular relationships, he was an obvious catalyst for our connection and continued to gently remind us of his presence over the last decade.

As I recently sat down with this couple, I was reminded that, in addition to our faith, another significant item has held us together when it could have been easy to lose touch with each other, literally and figuratively. This glue was ministry, a dedication to serving God together wherever the need arose. From summer camps to bible studies, our mutual desires to be servants together has always brought us spiritually and emotionally closer, even when we don’t realize it, and has often made doing “hard work” for Christ much easier.

My reflection on these three people reveals much to me about Jesus as an example of the perfect friend:

1. He’s faithful, protecting his followers from a stormy sea, for example, despite their distrust.
2. He’s sacrificial, surrendering his physical life to secure eternal friendships.
3. He’s forgiving, pardoning Thomas’ doubts and Peter’s denials.

I am by no means a perfect friend, but I am thankful to know that as I attempt to walk in wake of Christ’s example, I not only have the chance to develop lasting relationships on earth, but that I can also be called a friend of Jesus. How amazing it is to imagine hearing these words which the Son of God shared with his closest companions”

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 15:15 (NIV)

questions to consider

1. Have you taken the first fundamental step in creating lasting friendships with Christ and others, accepting Jesus as the Savior he claims to be?
2. What deliberate steps are you taking to preserve the relationships in your own life? How can Jesus’ life help guide you in this area?
3. How are you and your friends serving Christ together? And, if you are not, how will you begin to after today?

prayer

Father God, how gracious is your companionship and guidance in our lives, despite our sin and disobedience. Thank you for desiring intimate relationships with each of us and for offering friendships here on earth as a chance for us to learn how to love each other and the world around us. Your Son was our perfect example; please help us work together in ways that would make us worthy of being called friends as well as servants.

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4:20-23

I have to give my cat a pill. Every day. If you’ve never tried to give a pill to a cat, let me tell you: cats do not wish to take pills. But, I am almost one of those crazy cat ladies and I love my cat. I know it is for his own good and I buck up and do what I have to do to make sure he gets the medication he needs. It’s not like giving a pill to a dog – tricking them by sticking it in a piece of cheese or hot dog or something. The cat isn’t falling for that. He knows. It’s been a few months now that I’ve been having to do this, and over the course of time I’ve figured out some tricks to get it done. Sometimes he senses me approaching and he’ll run and hide under the bed. After he gets his pills, he’s mad at me for a while. But before the evening is over he’s back in my lap, loving on me and has obviously forgiven me.

My cat was diagnosed with blood clots due to a heart condition. I have noticed that since I have been treating the heart problem, his health has improved in other ways. His fur seems to be softer, and he doesn’t seem to shed as much as he used to. He no longer seems to have stomach trouble, and his appetite has increased. Because of the changes made to his heart, his general overall health has changed for the better.

How the heart goes, so goes the rest of the body. when my mother was ill and her heart was failing, other things began to fail as well. She began to have problems with her lungs, her eyes and mouth, her feet and ankles. When your heart isn’t working properly, nothing else functions properly either.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45

Before I became a Christian – before I accepted Christ into my heart, it was as if my life wasn’t functioning properly. I felt lost, without direction and guidance, and I felt a void. My heart wasn’t in the right place, and I was not right with the Lord. Aspects of my world were failing, and i was alone and didn’t know how to deal with it. But then I made a diagnosis: I needed salvation. The daily dose I need to take? Prayer and Bible reading. Every day – so that I can know what is true, and I won’t be fooled into thinking I’m getting a hot dog or cheese – something phony, untrue, theologically unsound and incorrect.

Sometimes when I sense God approaching to work in painful areas of my life, I want to go and run away and hide under the bed. I don’t want to take the medicine that He knows I need, that is for my own good – He’s gotta do what He’s gotta do. And it has happened that after I’ve received a dose, well, I might not be all that happy about it. But I have to trust in the Lord that He loves me and that I should give thanks in and for all things. My cat doesn’t understand the reason behind why I’m so “mean”, grabbing him and forcing this nasty pill down his gullet. And me in my humanness, I don’t often understand God’s reasons why I have to experience pain, hardships, struggles, and difficult situations. but it is all about the process of overall change in my life – and if I believe in Him, I should know that he works all things for the good. And because I know that, I love Him.

to consider

Think of a time when you felt God was giving you and unpleasant dose of medicine – a difficult time period or situation. Looking back, do you feel this experience changed you for the better overall?

Have you been treating your spiritual maladies every day, with quiet times of prayer and reading of God’s word?

prayer

Lord, hear our prayers. We come to you expectantly. By faith we know that when we come to you, you hear us. When we ask, we shall receive. We trust that when we prayerfully, humbly ask you to come into our lives and work for change, we can expect change – more, and different than we could ever imagine. Heal our hearts – strengthen our spirits. Unite us with the common desire for changed lives.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Everyone can read the stories of Jesus and see the portraits painted by the words of those who knew him. but not everyone sees truth and beauty and infinite wisdom…”seeing they do not see”…if you do not prize him above all things, you haven’t apprehended his true worth.

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

My prayer today is that we might know Christ’s character intimately. When we know his character, when we know Him, we are overcome by his greatness. We stand in awe. And in this we know God and His glory. Paul writes to the Corinthians, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” Jesus was both fully God and fully man-he was the most visible, tangible picture man has had of God. In looking at his life, we learn the nature of God himself.

In his book, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, John Piper examines the life of Christ and challenges you to truly see Him-to know Him and to be changed in knowing. Many can look at the Bible and point out the “good” things of Christ-his love and compassion, his mercy, his gentleness. What we rarely think of, however, is his great power, his majesty, his wisdom which commanded respect. The former view alone paints a portrait of a weak but kind man, the later view alone is a God to be feared, but not one who is accessible. In order to gain a glimpse of the true Christ, we must recognize that He, by his very nature, is both.

As Piper aptly puts it, Christ is a “lion-like Lamb” and a “lamb-like Lion”, and this strange dichotomy of characteristics are found within one Person. That is the greatness of God. The Lion of Judah is both strong and majestic (as seen when Christ is glorified in Matthew 17)-in the face of a glorified Lord the disciples, who had known and walked closely with Christ, fell on their faces in fear (17:6). And yet, this same man, the Lamb of God, is described as gentle and meek. Meekness in and of itself is a characteristic of greatness-one who is meek is patient under injuries, there is a great sense of humility combined with the idea of power under control. Piper further explains that Jesus both demonstrated an uncompromising justice and great mercy, He was great and yet submissive to God, Jesus baffled scribes and teachers of the law and yet had a deep love for the children. All of these characteristics are fully true of our God, without ever being in contradiction. This is His greatness, this is His glory.

He goes on in his book to explain the beauty in the suffering of Christ, “the only person in history who did not deserve to suffer, suffered most”. Piper explains that suffering is the design of God-Isaiah 53:10 confirms this, “For it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord make his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.” Christ’s suffering was God’s design from the beginning-the only way in which we could have true fellowship with the Father. And though Jesus did not long to suffer (Mark 14:32), he responded in perfect obedience.

The closer we look at Christ the more we learn of our God. He was worthy of all glory, yet he humbled himself like a servant. He alone held the right to condemn and yet chose mercy. My prayer is that we might be amazed by his love, in awe of his goodness, and humbled by his power and perfection. That we might know Christ is of greatest value. That we might be like Christ is our utmost ambition.

application

Read one chapter from a gospel. What do you learn about God and His character through Christ’s actions?

You may freely download Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper from http://www.desiringgod.org/media/pdf/books_bscp/bscp_all.pdf.

prayer

Father, may we be a people who know you. I pray that we would be thoroughly dissatisfied with living on the surface. Lord, may we come before you with renewed awe, may you open our eyes to your greatness, and may we be changed. I pray that you would enlighten the eyes of our hearts that we might truly see you in the scriptures and savor you. Make us hunger for you. Give us knowledge of you, draw our hearts near.

The Holy Spirit is God’s permanent presence with us. When Jesus left this earth, he told his followers that God was going to give them “another Counselor” to be with them forever (John 14:16-17). This was the Holy Spirit – the form of God that we receive when we accept Christ into our lives. He has several jobs that He accomplishes in our lives, but one of them is to enable us to understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:12). He also gives us assurance of being a child of God (Romans 8:15-16), helps us glorify Christ with our lives (John 16:14), and gives us the ability to speak to others about Christ (Acts 1:8). As you can see by the scripture references, the Bible actually has a lot to say about the Holy Spirit, even though many of us are not aware of his purpose.

We are unable to live a life pleasing to God OUTSIDE of the power of the Holy Spirit. We may want to really badly. We may try very committedly. But we will always fail eventually, because we just don’t have it in us to live that kind of life. Our own strength is inadequate. While I was growing up in the church, I must have “re-dedicated” my life twenty times. It was necessary all those times because even though I truly wanted to please God, and even though I could start out successful in my attempts, I always ended up failing because I was trusting in my own efforts to live the Christian life. So, I would find myself moved by a speaker, and headed down the aisle again to re-dedicate myself to being a better Christian. And I did it again, and again. My spirit was willing, but my flesh was weak.

Only when we use the correct power source are we able to live that Christian life. That source is the Holy Spirit, and when we are “filled”, or directed and empowered, by Him we are finally able to live a life pleasing to God. Will that life be perfect? No. Will we still sin, fail, and disappoint God and each other? Yes. But these failures will come much less frequently as we grow in our relationship with God and learn how to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith. God’s word commands us to be filled with His Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and then promises that if we ask according to his will, God will answer our prayers (1 John 5:14,15). So, we can know that when we come to the end of ourselves, and ask God to now direct our lives, He hears our prayers and will give us the power through His Spirit to live for Him.

When we apply this truth to our lives, something remarkable happens. When we remember to ask for His abilities all through the day and not rely on our own, we will see real changes. We will find our lives producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23). We will find that our prayer life and study of God’s word is more meaningful. We will experience His power over temptation and sin (1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 6:1-16). And we will view ourselves and our responsibilities through God’s eyes and not our own. Our purpose in life will change forever.

So, if you want to truly experience His presence in your life, if you want to begin to think, speak, and act like you are His child, then all you have to do is “practice His presence” by being filled by His Spirit. It is not an emotional experience. It is a day to day–no, a moment by moment walk where we consciously choose to use His strength in our lives, rather than our own. You may find yourself able to handle the pressures of your job better. You may find yourself thinking more about scripture, and praying throughout the day. You may even find yourself speaking to family and friends about how they can know Christ personally, too. Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit won’t be spooky or scary, but it will be supernatural, and beyond your expectations.

points to ponder

1. Are you depending on your own strength to live the Christian life?
2. Have you experienced an up and down spiritual experience, leading to frustration in your life?
3. Are you willing to surrender the control of your life to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to direct your life?

prayer

Father, I need you. I know that I do not always allow you to control my life. I do desire to be filled by your Spirit and to experience all that you have for my life. I confess the sin of directing my own life, and ask you to give me a surrendered heart. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, and show me how you can change my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be. I want to please you in every respect. Give me the faith to trust you more. I love you. Amen.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

1 Corinthians 12-13

My college basketball team was awesome. (Sorry, folks – I’m not talking about Clemson!) Our college basketball FANS, however, were notoriously bad – myself included. Individually, we were perfectly nice, well-mannered young men and women – on our own outside of the arena. But in the throes of “mob mentality,” we became sort of an entity. Local papers regularly ran articles, editorials, and letters to the editor chronicling our antics. We chanted, yelled, booed, hissed, & threw things. We had a horrendous reputation that visiting teams dreaded and opponents did not welcome at away games.

As individuals, probably none of us would have at any time screamed rude epithets, hurled bananas (yes, that’s what I said) and quite frankly, by ourselves would have made a really boring *wave.* Alone I could do something, but I couldn’t make as much of an impact. But as a mob – one body – or as I say, an entity – we were making news, scaring children, and affecting people and the way they felt.

At one game in particular, two of the Special Olympics teams were scheduled to play basketball during halftime. Given the reputation of our rabid fans, school officials were nervous. Moms of Special Olympians were nervous. The halftime game started – and I felt a shift. This crowd of riled-up college hooligans began to watch the game – and really started getting into it. Rude screaming was replaced by shouts of genuine encouragement. Good plays were met with excited cheers, and fumbles with good-natured collective groans.

To this day I remember a letter to the local papers from a parent of one of the Special Olympians. The letter expressed her initial trepidation in allowing her child to participate – given what she’d heard about us. The letter went on to state how grateful she was to the body of college students – their enthusiasm, and the way her son felt – beaming – after that game. And she encouraged the community not to write off these fans because of the way we tended to come off – that we were really a bunch of people with decent hearts.

As a church – or, THE church – the world-wide body of believers in Christ, we are an entity, a mob, a physical body. Alone, individually, as Christians we can and should do something – as we are commanded- to make what impact we can where we are, amongst those around us. But we are “better together.” United as one, we can have a positive – or a negative effect rippling out from around us. Do we want to be written up in the papers as a poorly-behaved mass or as an enthusiastic, encouraging team? Do we want our visitors to dread coming? Do we want our visits (our “away games”) to be unwelcome? Notoriously bad or influential and genuine? Together we are stronger, united together.

What are we able to do on our own? How can we as individuals in our unique situation be influential – being a Christ-like example?
What are some of the ways your own uniqueness benefits the body? Why is that important?
Why do you think it is crucial to have both in your life – personal quiet alone-time with the Lord as well as the experience of authentic corporate worship?

This week, set aside some special time to pray for unity of the church body – both here and worldwide – that yourself, those around you, and Christians everywhere will truly, genuinely love one another and that we will all regularly worship together as one, lifting up His holy name.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 14-27