Given man’s status before God (sinner, helpless, rebel), given god’s response of mercy, we should choose the most reasonable response – changing allegiance and moving to be with God. Accept the shift in paradigm, so we do not live with the world’s mind-set. The, we will be able to demonstrate that God’s will is good, pleasing and perfect.

This is the first mind-set alteration. Do not consider yourself too highly. Be very serious about your estimation of place and importance. God has provided an interdependence, but it is based in diversity. He has given interlocking functions. The different functions meet different needs. As needs are met, love is given. Unity and growth are created. Growth becomes a by-product of love and service.

Right thinking must progress to right acting. Right acting demands we serve and love one another.

We become other focused. God has created us to live fueled by unity. Unity is designed to function as we focus outward, using our gifts to meet needs. And God has given each of His children gifts. So, if you have a gift, do it!

Living Sacrifice

We need to recognize and understand God’s mercy. Look at its scope, and its effects. Look at people – their helplessness, their continual dark hearts. God has given so much. It is only reasonable to expect people to give much also. To sacrifice their lives. But dead people do God no good. So, it is a sacrifice of allegiance. More over, it is a life that has changed. A life that turns from the darkness and consecrated to God, pleasing to God.

Beyond the Walls

Many Christians are under the mistaken impression that life with Jesus is only encompassed in the church meeting. They act as though the only place to encounter God is “there”, the only place to serve God is “there.”

A large part of the church’s purpose is to engage the world, to rub the world’s face on Jesus’ robe. Part of that is inviting and accompanying people to a church meeting. (Take them to your house. Introduce them to your family.) Part of that is bringing Jesus to their house.

In the Bible, the pastors do not lead the church. In the Bible, the elders lead the church. And pastors are sitting all throughout the room. We believe the scripture when it says we are all priests. But only a few are allowed to do priestly things. (We share Christ with someone; they choose to follow Him. We share baptism; they choose to be baptized. We call someone to do the baptizing, when we are priests of God Most High.) It is not the senior pastor’s job to do the priestly things. It is the senior pastor’s job to equip the church – all the other pastors – to do the priestly things. Everyone who follows Jesus should be able to preach a sermon, cast out demons, pray for the sick, give counsel, pray for other needs, baptize, initiate the Lord’s supper.

We put god in a box. We put Jesus-followers in a box. We put the church in a box.

Worship Always

Live a life of worship and continual renewal. We should be giving our lives to serve God, and continually gaining a new perspective on God, the world, ourselves and the relationship among these things.

We need to understand our role in God’s purposes. We are vital to its success, but we are not indispensable. (There are no appendices in the body of Christ, but the only indispensable person is the Holy Spirit.)

Most people view themselves as either “if I stopped what I am doing, this place will fall apart” or “I am warming a spot on the bench.” There are no spectators on Jesus’ team.

We need to realize that your “job” may not be in the building. There is service in people’s homes, or under their cars. There is teaching and encouraging beyond Sunday School or the Sermon. There is serving, loving and investing in inner city neighborhoods, UD students or ELI students. There are thousands of places prayer should be applied.

Why do we believe the world instead of Jesus? Jesus says there is a problem in the world, and the solution involves a relationship with Him. And people with a relationship with Him are part of the solution. Our time with Him in the worship meeting is supposed to affect the world.

Influence

When a movement begins that has tremendous promise for good, magnetic, charismatic leader and strong surges of growth, it will not be viewed as a positive when that charismatic leader is executed as a criminal. Indeed, it will be the death knell of that movement. Yet the Jesus movement not only views such an execution as positive and an advance, but it is the culmination, the pinnacle of that leader’s work. That “failure” is total victory in the eyes of Scripture.

Our Father is the God of paradoxes. Failure becomes success. Weakness becomes strength. The path to great influence is promotion, personal magnetism, money, connections and polished speechmaking. Is that what the Scripture says? Scripture says the path to great influence is humility, service, love, faith, prayer and a connection with the Creator of the Universe.

During the last elections, one party came roaring into power. The other party was pushed out of while sections of the country. Pundits, politicians and reporters sent up a roar of rejoicing at the apparent political dominion. Is that what Jesus sought?

“Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”

Jesus had the power of dominion. But He chose not to use it. Indeed, He chose the opposite.

“Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing.”

Love is ...

Life runs ahead at break-neck speed. It also comes to a screeching halt, and everything goes flying. Life can come crashing down on people.

God’s family should realize when the roof has fallen in on someone, and move in to put clean up, push everything back into place.

God’s family should possibly even monitor others, and move in to for a support team and prevent a collapse in the first place. Strengthen the beams and joists. Erect pillars.

Love is ...

One thing is axiomatic to Jesus’ disciples: in everything Jesus said He intended to promote God’s purposes, strengthen the relationship between God and His people, and among His people, and draw people to unite with His community. What He encouraged led to building, enhancing and promoting these things. What He encouraged led to wholeness, integrity and authentic living.

How can someone rejoice when people experience misery and alienation? We rejoice when God’s truth is applied and people experience peace, growth, rest and health.

Love is ...

Coming into contact with other human beings inevitably leads to periodic collisions. How we handle the collisions is related to how we view the ones we collide with.

What were their intentions? What am I hanging onto? What is more important: this person? This relationship? My feelings?

To Jesus (falsely accused, illegally executed), the people and the relationships were more important than His suffering. If we have the attitude of Jesus, all reminders of these collisions will be dismantled bit by bit until any suspicion of their existence can only be a matter of speculation.

Love is ...

There are numerous things that get under people’s skin: aggressive driving, tail gating, negativity, whining, frustrated expectations, or misunderstandings. Being sick or tired can make little things grow very big.

And these can light a short fuse with people – either because they are the cause or because they are in the area. Often our focus is glued to an issue, and we respond to the issue with people getting damaged incidentally.

Are people reckless, trouble-makers, or selfish? Are they afraid of losing their job by being late again? Or do they feel like no one listens to them, or takes them seriously? Or maybe they don’t understand?

Usually, we cannot control the causes of irritation, but we can control our responses to people. The response God desires is a longer fuse and extending grace.

Love is ...

Sometimes, it seems like people have an internal need to reveal themselves to others. We need to be known. It is part of our need for community. We hope that when we open our hearts, someone will listen. Someone listening affirms who we are. It affirms our acceptance and worth.

(People don’t open up, because they are unsure how they will be received. Maybe they will be rejected. Maybe the contents of their hearts will be mocked and ridiculed.)

We all know people who only seem to be able to talk about themselves. Any event is interpreted solely by its relationship to them.

(Are these people convinced they are the only ones with worth? Or are they convinced of their worthlessness, and are continually seeking someone to listen, and thereby let them know they are wrong?)

There are people are encouragers. Their focus is not themselves, but out to other people and how they may able to affirm who they are in their hearts. There are people who are servants. Not only is their focus outward, but they are alert for needs … and consider ways and means for meeting them.

Love is ...

In every society, people come to agreement about the basic patterns of conduct toward other people. In the West, these practices are called “common courtesy.” They apply to family, friends, acquaintances, strangers and visitors.

Keeping these practices is important. Because they are applied indiscriminately to everyone, it puts everyone on equal footing. Everyone is treated equally, so everyone is perceived equally. If they are perceived as equal, they are equal.

Respect, acceptance and honor are shown with these practices. Disregard, rejection and dishonor are shown when refusing to keep these practices.

Love is ...

A common metaphor for success in the business world is climbing the ladder. The higher one climbs the better.
Often, it is accompanied with the idea of knocking others off the ladder, so one can advance more easily. The main concept of the metaphor is that it is better to look down on people. When a person looks down, it places them in a position of superiority. To remain in that superior place, a person needs to continue to move higher or push others lower.

The world seems to reguard this pursuit as bringing life. In reality, it brings death – to those below and those above. On the contrary, life and energy seem to be created when people give no consideration to their “height.” If a person does not look at life in terms of up and down, he free for other considerations, other focuses. Maybe one that pushes everybody up the ladder.

Love is ...

Over the last few years, I have come to realize that some people want to hear “good news” about people they know. But I also realized it is only true if they value other people and are not consumed by their own issues.

Most people would not want to be bothered. And we all know people who would be depressed for a week by someone else’s “good news” and the fact they did not have any. Some, we suspect would sabotage the “good news” if they could.

If we get outside of ourselves, we will celebrate everyone’s “good news” and embrace their “bad news” with them also.

Love is ...

Too often people are engrossed in their own affairs. They only see their own problems, pleasures, space and world.

There always seems to be a surge of relief, gratitude and joy when we find someone who sees beyond their circumstances and steps into the circumstances of others, getting involved, providing help, solutions, benefit, comfort, courage or encouragement.

Life, society and the nature of man can lead everyone to self-focus. Alertness to the condition of others and willingness to step in and act require firm commitments to the inherent value of love and of people and discipline and courage to look at the world with a heart to engage it.

Love is ...

Emotion that gets expressed too quickly or too soon is often uncontrolled. It gets expressed inappropriately – harshly or in anger. So, love stretches out the expression of emotions.

Strong emotions take off by themselves. The person needs to hang onto them, so they don’t run wild and crash into anything. So, they stretch them.

A person who keeps a firm hold on his emotions recognizes the value of people and the damage run away emotions can cause. Stretching emotions is a choice to avoid damage to other people. It expresses value given to people.

More Missions

Sin entered the world and marred the nature of God’s creation. His intentions, desires and goals for mankind have been eternally thwarted. So, He packs it in. He quits. He takes His ball and goes home.

No He doesn’t. His purposes have not been thwarted. His intentions and goals remain the same. He will create a people who enter into a love relationship with Him. He will create a community that will mirror His community within the Godhead.

More over, the fallen nature of His community will bring an opportunity to bring Him greater glory.

• Part of the Godhead will go on a mission of redemption.
• People will choose to become part of His community.
• His family – marred by the fall – will be transformed by His presence among them and their participation in His family.
• His family will become an influence that restores His creation to what He originally intended.

God is working consistently, steadfastly and strategically, sometimes behind the scenes, and sometimes with great fanfare. But He is always active across the great backdrop of history to bring these things to pass.

We already rejoice at the completion of Jesus’ mission. We already rejoice when people choose to be part of His community. Don’t we rejoice when we see people change and conform to His image? Do we rejoice when His community works to restore the original image of creation?

Mission as Fuel

Mission is fundamental to the nature of God. God created with a purpose. God ties His glory to the completion of that purpose. God chose Abraham for more than the beginning the lineage of David, for more than the giving of the Messiah. God chose Abraham to live a life a blessing, and to give that blessing to the world. As the world receives that blessing, the world will turn their eyes to the God who gives all good things. And when Israel failed to be the blessing, He called people in the world to be a kingdom, a family, a special assembly designed to bless the world. That assembly should bless the world, calling it to share God’s life, and uniting themselves with God – under His name, as a part of that assembly. That role should be part of His family’s DNA. To live as if there is no mission denies God’s purpose for His family.

God's Mission

All of God’s thoughts, words and deeds are designed to bring Him glory.

All of God’s intentions toward us, His works for us and with us are designed to bring Him glory.

And our mission is to paint the world with His glory … three coats! We are to describe His glory by sharing who He is and what He does. We are to live and act so others give Him glory.

Power of the Gospel

Several leaders of a church were gathered in prayer. During this time, the Holy Spirit revealed that He wanted two of the leaders to become church planters. After a time of preparation, the two men left to plant churches. The visited eight large cities, and planted four churches.

Normally, God spread His presence with His people. If His people are not in a place, then His presence is not in a place. God’s intention has always been for His people to cover the earth. But, at this time, as today, there are some places where His seed is planted, and some not. The cities they visited had varying degrees of influence by God’s people – some a lot, some not at all.

Let’s get a clear picture of the environment. The cities were spiritual cesspools. Idolatry, superstition and immorality were rampant. There were no Bibles in the heart language of the people. And if there were, there was only 5-10% literacy.

The cities were used to make commercials for relief organizations like Compassion. Families made their living sifting through the dump. There were some land owners, some soldiers, some subsistence farmers, some craftsmen, and possibly half the population were slaves. Poverty was overwhelming. Cities were dirty, smelly and unsafe. There was disease and malnutrition. There was a 25% infant mortality rate. 50% did not reach the age of five. 30% did not reach the age of eighteen. Life expectancy for men was 45. Life expectancy for women was 38.

These cities were “unplowed fields”, with lots of birds, rocks and thorns. The ground was hard. It was next impossible for any “desirable plant” to take root.

Moreover, there were no planes, trains or automobiles. There were three modes of locomotive power: wind, animal and feet. The journey was around 1200 miles, taking about two years. Average travel was around twenty miles a day. 1200 miles at twenty miles means 60 days of traveling. (That is, if everything went well – no sicknesses, no shipwrecks, no robberies, inclement weather, etc.)

Let us assume they attempted to plant a church in every city they visited. How do they do that? There is no TV, no internet, no radio, no newspapers or printing presses. There were no big evangelistic rallies. There were no call-forwards.

(“Call forwards” were not invented until the 1830’s or 1840’s. So, not only were they not part of these church planter’s arsenal, but the world had experienced several large, high-impact revivals with it.)

They sought out those who they believed would be most open. So, they went to the synagogues, arguing from scripture that Jesus was the Messiah. From there, they approached God-fearers wherever there were groups of people: markets, schools and places of business.
So, if they took:
• Two months to travel
• Fours to reach out to four unresponsive cities
• And eighteen months to plant four churches.

That’s an average of four and a half months for each church plant. And in most of the churches that were planted, they were beaten and thrown out of the city. And they left a group of baby Christian to fend for themselves for 1-2 years.

Understand –
• On barren soil,
• In destitute physical circumstances,
• Amid opposition and persecution,
• Amid scores of deceiving voices,
• Without leadership,
• Without resources,
• And with minimal grounding.

(Which sounds like a recipe for disaster) These baby churches survived, thrived and grew.

They presented the gospel and painted a picture of Jesus in a way that all those factors had no power against the gospel and the Spirit behind it. The testimony is that the gospel grew and increased. Transformation was evident everywhere it went.

Transformation

When we became followers of Jesus, why didn't God perfect us? Why not transform us into morally perfect beings? Imagine the tremendous testimony.

Part of the answer is: going through the sanctification process is not just about becoming like Jesus. It is also about learning about God, people, relationship and forgiveness.

God also created many cultures. Why? God has placed a small piece of Himself in every culture. As we express this piece of God in our culture, we demonstrate God's nature to the world. And, as we see the faithful of God in China, India, Kenya and Kazakhstan express that piece of God from their culture, we see God in new ways. We learn what God values from His heart being expressed in and through them.

Many cultures have well-defined expressions of community. We learn God's heart about unity, mutual care giving, mutual encouragement and the need for all of us to have a place.

I have heard American praise these cultures amd lament living in America. As if God was displeased with America and its culture. As if God was somehow surprised by the way America turned out. What do we see when we look at America with God's eyes? We see how God values personal initiative, creativity, responsibility, risk taking, hard work, diversity, as well as individuals and minorities.

(There are not too many places in the world, where one person can stand in front of the whole nation and say "You're wrong!" and be right.)