FOCUSED ON THE ONE TASK

Life is tough enough as it is. It’s even tougher when we’re headed in the wrong direction.

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff, yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept His life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of His future, He could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which He could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. But in the end He chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus Himself. “The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.” (Luke 19:10)  “The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many people.” (Mark 10:45)

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day He left the carpentry shop of Nazareth He had one ultimate aim -- the cross of Calvary. He was so focused that His final words were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

How could Jesus say He was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could He say He was finished? Simple. He had completed His designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put down his pen. The job was done.

Wouldn’t you love to be able to say the same? Wouldn’t you love to look back on your life and know you had done what you were called to do?   

-- Max Lucado in “Just Like Jesus”

#6347

IN A SHELL

"God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." (2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT)

Gracious Father, You took the initiative to reach out to me -- even in my sin and selfishness -- in order to bring me into Your eternal kingdom, through the work of Christ. I cannot fathom such love! And yet, Father, I try to hoard Your grace! I put up walls of protection that I might keep hurt out and blessing in. I am like the clam that shuts itself up in its shell, afraid of threats from the outside. You call me to unshell myself and to partner with You in Your mission of love. Unshell me, Lord, that I, too, may reach out to a lonely, discouraged, and even hopeless world. In Jesus' name, amen. 

-- Max Lucado in “Outlive Your Life”

#6240

BEYOND THE CHURCH WALLS

Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV)

The church is never true to itself when it is living for itself, for if it is chiefly concerned with saving its own life, it will lose it. The nature of the church is such that it must always be engaged in finding new ways by which to transcend itself. Its main responsibility is always outside its own walls in the redemption of common life. That is why we call it a redemptive society.

The outgoing character of the Christian movement is of such crucial importance that when it is understood, many of our religious presuppositions are thereby altered or rejected. Christians may indeed come in [to the church] but they do so only that they may, in consequence, go out, and furthermore, that they may go out with greater effectiveness.

The presupposition used in describing Christ’s own strategy is highly significant. “He called to Him the Twelve, and began to send them out” (Mark 6:7). The point is almost equally clear in the dispatch of the Seventy, whom He sent “on ahead of Him” (Luke 10). Though it is discouraging to find how few of the millions of [church goers] have even a slight comprehension of this, it is heartening to find it understood in some places. 

-- Elton Trueblood in “The Company of the Committed” (1961)

#6160

THE CHURCH GATHERED AND SCATTERED – Part 2

The Puritans had the right idea. They did not apply the word “service” to the gathering of worship. For them the service began at the church door when the church meeting was over. There they crossed the threshold of life to go back into the world, and there the service began as an outgrowth of the renewal that had come as they worshipped together. Worship loses its essential Christian nature when it becomes an end in itself and does not send its worshipers out into the world to engage in Christian service -- to deal with the problems of the poor and the oppressed -- and Christian witness -- to make disciples of all nations.

The Jesus who invites us to worship is the same Jesus who proclaimed in His first sermon, as recorded in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

-- Adapted from “Encountering Jesus” by Zan W. Holmes, Jr.

#5680

THE PRIORITY OF WORSHIP

If the Lord is to be Lord, worship must have a priority in our lives. The first commandment of Jesus is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). The divine priority is worship first, service second. Our lives are to be punctuated with praise, thanksgiving and adoration. Service flows out of worship. Service as a substitute for worship is idolatry. Activity may become the enemy of adoration. 

-- M. Scott Peck in “Celebration of Discipline”

#5513

SPIRITUAL PREPARATION FOR MISSION

When we expect spiritually immature people suddenly to become committed to outreach, we end up asking people to serve a compulsion, not God. Look at the example of Jesus and His disciples. He did not call them and immediately ask them to care for the poor, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, heal the sick, and make disciples of all nations. Instead, He spent the early part of His ministry preparing them. He focused on forming their faith. Eventually He gave them small missions of teaching and healing. When they failed and became discouraged, He encouraged them and taught them how to succeed. It was only toward the end of His life that He gave them the authority to fully serve Him in mission, and it was only after His death and resurrection that He commanded them to go out and share the gospel. Mission and ministry were the result of spiritual preparation and maturation.

In far too many… churches there has not been enough focus on preparing people spiritually for mission. We prepare people for mission by creating an environment of trust, encouragement, compassion, vision, selflessness, and sacrifice. Spiritual leaders recognize the importance of first forming people spiritually for their mission. 

-- N. Graham Standish in “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence, and Power”

#5347

SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS

What do a disabled woman and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have in common?  God used them both to reach thousands of kids.  In the summer of 1990, Bea Salazar didn't consider her life a work of art.  She was unemployed with five kids, no money, and little hope.  Then she found a crying boy digging for food in a dumpster.  She took the boy home and made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Good news about the peanut-butter lady spread through the neighborhood, and more kids showed up on her doorstep.  Today, she influences thousands of kids through her non-profit organization, Bea’s Kids (www.beaskids.org), which offers tutoring, clothes, medical assistance, food, and counseling.  Bea Salazar has received numerous awards for her good deeds.  When Oprah gave Bea the Use Your Life Award, Bea said, "It gives me a purpose to live, it gives me life…There is no greater joy."

There is no greater joy than doing good works for others in the name of the Lord.  Won't you give the gift that keeps on giving, the gift of yourself, for God's honor and glory? 

-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians” 

#5165

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2 NLT)

Being a people in mission is not merely a matter of strategies and methods; it is a matter of spiritual formation. Being in mission requires us to have a trusting relationship with God and ourselves that is more than the mere learning of facts. Formation is a process through which a relationship develops and shapes our very personality. Out of that deep personal experience, values and commitments originate and love grows. 

-- Bishop Raymond Schultz, ELC in Canada

#5083 

GROWING IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - Part 2

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”  (Ephesians 4:14-16 NIV)

Now and again people ask me what I perceive my job to be. My answer is always the same: to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, then to help them grow up in Christ. That’s the work of the church.

“How about a place to find friends?” someone asks. Wonderful; there’s no better place to do so. But that’s a by-product of what we do. “How about the church being a place for cultural enrichment?” Excellent. But the university, the art museum and the orchestra can take care of that if we fail -- but no one else will provide a place where people can grow up in Christ. “But what about our social events -- you know, bridge, bowling, drama, pot luck suppers?” I love ‘em. But other places provide those opportunities, while they don’t give us a place to grow in Christ.

Hear me: there are a great many things we can offer in the church, and should offer. But let us remember that they are secondary. They are beautiful by-products, but they’re not our primary business. We didn’t come into existence -- either the [local church] or Christendom as a whole -- to be a political, social, or cultural institution, but to bring human beings to new and continuing, effective life in Jesus Christ.

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in a sermon entitled “What I Have Learned About Growing Up”



#4773

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Timothy 2:2 NLT)

One of the biggest complaints I have heard from liberal, moderate, and conservative Christians about the spiritual formation movement is that it emphasizes self-focused navel gazing. These critics complain that the study of spirituality and spiritual practices teaches people to become self-consumed rather than mission oriented. That’s not true. Spiritual formation’s detractors create a false dichotomy. Rarely do I find someone truly devoted to spiritual practices who isn’t also devoted to outreach of some kind. A relationship with God always compels us to acts of loving sacrifice. True prayer always leads to action. The real problem arises when people act without prayer, because then the focus is on themselves, not on serving God.

-- N. Graham Standish in “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence, and Power”


#4701

A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

Jesus prayed, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:1-3 NIV)

It certainly has been a blessing being on an NFL team and competing at this level. But as rewarding as that is, it's not nearly as rewarding as having a relationship with Jesus Christ. There's no other way to live. This is a mission field, because guys need to be reached. A lot of guys are hurting because they've bought into the big lie that they need more and more money, and more and more fame. But a lot of them are empty when they find out this isn't true.

-- Mark Brunell, former NFL Quarterback, in Sports Spectrum magazine


#4662

SACRIFICIAL LEADERSHIP

“From the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year -- twelve years -- neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor... Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land... I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.”  (Nehemiah 5:14-19 NIV)

One of the downsides of leadership is the sacrifice often required of leaders. Being a leader means sacrificing time, money, and possessions that are dear to our hearts…

When our sacrifices as spiritual leaders are rooted as much as possible in unselfishness (of course most still have mixed motivations), they lead others to sacrifice. But more important, they lead others to selflessness -- and that is the ultimate goal of true sacrifice. True sacrifice, even in small ways, leads people to become less selfish and self-focused, and more selfless in their love for others. The sacrifice of leaders becomes the ground that allows other leaders and the church to become increasingly focused on outreach to others through ministry and mission. Sacrifice for God in our leadership leads others to experience God’s purpose, presence, and power in our lives. It leads them to serve God the Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit.

-- N. Graham Standish in “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence. And Power”


#4648

MRS. WHITE’S COMMITMENT

Her name was Mrs. White, and she spoke passionately about her work among the desperate and poor in India. Retiring after a lifetime of service, she had a million stories to share. She showed some slides, read from scriptures, told some stories, and touched a lot of hearts. The speaking tour was a kind of valedictory , one last opportunity to spread the news and to raise consciousness about the amazing work of the church going on halfway around the world.

Many in the congregation that evening were inspired. They wrote checks, gathered information, renewed their personal enthusiasm for missions, and added the important legacy of the retired missionary to their ongoing commitment  in prayer. Some even felt led by the Holy Spirit to consider a calling to work overseas.

“Mrs. White,” one man said as he stood up during question time, ”you must love India very deeply. I’m sure you’re going to miss that part of the world now that you have returned to the United States. I know it’s going to be very hard for you.”

“Not at all,” she smiled ruefully. “I hated every minute of it. It is the filthiest, most corrupt place I have ever seen. The people I worked with were disease-ridden and desperate. The conditions were deplorable. I lost my husband and one child to that terrible place. If I never go back there this side of eternity, it will be one day too soon.”

The silence in the church was deafening. The congregation was stunned, and the man who asked the question just stood there with his mouth hanging open. Everyone wondered if the wiry old lady with a kick in her attitude had maybe lost her mind.

“But,” she continued, after a theatrical pause, “for the sake of the love of Jesus I would go back there tomorrow.”

Tears rolled down the elderly missionary’s sun-wrinkled cheeks, and she gripped the sides of the podium tightly. Mrs. White fairly glowed with the radiance of devotion.

It wasn’t humanitarianism that drove her life’s work; it wasn’t the lure or romanticism of oversees service; and it wasn’t even a deep, abiding affection for the people she served that had ripened and matured over time. It was Jesus whom she loved and served. A deep, authentic love for God gave real teeth to Mrs. White’s commitment to be a disciple, and this love moved her from contemplation out into the world.

-- Derek Maul in “Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men”


#4629

ON THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS

“Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”   (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)

The key to the missionary’s work is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the [world]. We are inclined to look on our Lord as one who assists us in our endeavors for God. Yet our Lord places Himself as the absolute sovereign and supreme Lord over His disciples. He does not say that the [world] will never be saved if we don’t go -- He simply says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…." He says, "Go on the basis of the revealed truth of My sovereignty, teaching and preaching out of your living experience of Me."

-- Oswald Chambers in “My Utmost for His Highest”


#4447