Over the last few weeks I've been preaching through the book of Acts. My goal has been to highlight how the early church created “God Space” by boldly taking the good news of Jesus into "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth." Believers filled with the Holy Spirit entered into homes, marketplaces, and the city squares and by their obedience created space for God to work in the lives of people. As you read through the sermons of Peter or the adventures of Paul, it’s clear that God’s plan is to use the Church as His agents of forgiveness, peace, and hope. I firmly believe that “the local church is the hope of the world.” (Bill Hybels)
This is an amazing task that the Church has not always accomplished very well. There have been moments in our history where the accomplishment of this mission was in serious jeopardy. That certainly was the case when Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote these words:
In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? …If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. (Letter From a Birmingham Jail)
I’m glad Dr. King didn’t give up on the Church, even when self-proclaimed Christians opposed the fight for equality. We don’t always get it right, but God doesn’t give up on the Church. The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings hope for the hopeless and liberation for the oppressed. This news is too good to be suppressed by fear, squelched by intimidation, or neglected by complacency. As evidenced by the heroes of the American Civil Rights movement, the Gospel message entrusted to the Church has the power to transform individuals, break the power of oppression, and revolutionize societies. As we enter “God Space” on a daily basis, I pray that we would fulfill our mission with just a measure of the same boldness, tenacity, and steadfastness that was embodied in this movement.
Showing posts with label spiritual conversations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritual conversations. Show all posts
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday, May 18, 2012
Living Like You Were Dying
Taken from the Live Like You Were Dying Daily Readings ... Week 4; Day 5
As we come to the end of this 30-day journey, we conclude with some thoughts from a young man whose life, even at only twenty years, resonates with the source of our study.
Michael Simon believes that the song, "Live Like You Were Dying" is sort of a theme song for him. "I grab life by the horns and dont let go -- seizing the day and squeezing the life out of it for all it is worth. Because of my mother's nine-year battle with breast cancer, I don't really take time for granted. I don't leave questions unasked and don't hesitate to express love in any form."
Here is a young man who has lived for the last nine years considering each day in the company of his mother to be his last. Three things he brings up here are significant conclusions for our study.
1. Make the most of every moment. It may be the last.
As we have seen, times is a precious commodity. Michael realizes that and spends it wisely and passionately. He is acutely aware of time passiing, and each new day he has with his mother is a blessing. And this has been going on for nine years! His example gives a realistic picture of what living like you were dying can actually do for you. It puts you in a state of suspended animation that forces you to not take anything for granted but to be thankful in all things. It is like a "time alert" that steps up all areas of alertness.
Jesus spoke of this mindset in Marks 13:33 when he said of his return: "Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." He is telling us to live each day as if it were our last.
2. Live with no regrets - no unfinished business.
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14).
Michael doesn't look back. What has happened has happened. He is more concerned with discovering the "what now's" of the present and the future than he is the "why's" of the past. He doesn't leave anything unasked, and I have a feeling he's not waiting around for the answer, either. Answers come to those who seek. Michael has no regrets because he knows everything that happens, happens for a reason, and his life is all about wrestling those reasons out of his experiences.
3. Love with urgency
Michael doesn't hesitate to express love in any form. I would take this to mean that he shares his love for his mom in words, in deeds, in remembering what is important to her, in sending her notes and reminders of his love, in listening when she needs to talk, and being silent when the last thing she needs is someone giving her advice. Maybe he takes her to places she loves where she can do what she loves to do.
And here's the final word and it's very important. Michael lives this way in relation to his mother, but everyone else in his life gets the benefit, because this intensity spills over into all of his other relationships and responsibilities as well. because of her, he takes nothing for granted. Can you say the same?
Reflective Thoughts ...
1. What have you learned as a result of this study? How would you like to live differently as a result of these last thirty days?
2. As we conclude this study, ask God to put you on a time alert -- to view life in slow motion so as to appreciate every moment for what it is.
3. Commit yourself to continuing to meet with your group or even one other person weekly to remind each other to live like you were dying. It's only as you actually face this possibility together that you can benefit from its perspective.
As we come to the end of this 30-day journey, we conclude with some thoughts from a young man whose life, even at only twenty years, resonates with the source of our study.
Michael Simon believes that the song, "Live Like You Were Dying" is sort of a theme song for him. "I grab life by the horns and dont let go -- seizing the day and squeezing the life out of it for all it is worth. Because of my mother's nine-year battle with breast cancer, I don't really take time for granted. I don't leave questions unasked and don't hesitate to express love in any form."
Here is a young man who has lived for the last nine years considering each day in the company of his mother to be his last. Three things he brings up here are significant conclusions for our study.
1. Make the most of every moment. It may be the last.
As we have seen, times is a precious commodity. Michael realizes that and spends it wisely and passionately. He is acutely aware of time passiing, and each new day he has with his mother is a blessing. And this has been going on for nine years! His example gives a realistic picture of what living like you were dying can actually do for you. It puts you in a state of suspended animation that forces you to not take anything for granted but to be thankful in all things. It is like a "time alert" that steps up all areas of alertness.
Jesus spoke of this mindset in Marks 13:33 when he said of his return: "Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." He is telling us to live each day as if it were our last.
2. Live with no regrets - no unfinished business.
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14).
Michael doesn't look back. What has happened has happened. He is more concerned with discovering the "what now's" of the present and the future than he is the "why's" of the past. He doesn't leave anything unasked, and I have a feeling he's not waiting around for the answer, either. Answers come to those who seek. Michael has no regrets because he knows everything that happens, happens for a reason, and his life is all about wrestling those reasons out of his experiences.
3. Love with urgency
Michael doesn't hesitate to express love in any form. I would take this to mean that he shares his love for his mom in words, in deeds, in remembering what is important to her, in sending her notes and reminders of his love, in listening when she needs to talk, and being silent when the last thing she needs is someone giving her advice. Maybe he takes her to places she loves where she can do what she loves to do.
And here's the final word and it's very important. Michael lives this way in relation to his mother, but everyone else in his life gets the benefit, because this intensity spills over into all of his other relationships and responsibilities as well. because of her, he takes nothing for granted. Can you say the same?
Reflective Thoughts ...
1. What have you learned as a result of this study? How would you like to live differently as a result of these last thirty days?
2. As we conclude this study, ask God to put you on a time alert -- to view life in slow motion so as to appreciate every moment for what it is.
3. Commit yourself to continuing to meet with your group or even one other person weekly to remind each other to live like you were dying. It's only as you actually face this possibility together that you can benefit from its perspective.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The John 3:16 Guy
We've all seen him. He's a mainstay at big-time sporting events. Somewhere in every crowd is that guy…you know…the guy with the wig on and the sign that reads, "John 3:16." I'm not sure who decided this would be a good idea, but for whatever reason someone determined that instead of personally inviting friends to church, holding up a sign in a large crowd with a Bible reference on it would be more effective. My guess is the person with season tickets directly behind "John 3:16 Guy" is not a big fan of "Stadium Evangelism."
Why dress up in a wig and hold this sign up? Why choose John 3:16?
The psychological make-up that would convince a person to dress up and make a scene at a public sporting event is something on which I'm not qualified to commentate. The rationale behind choosing John 3:16, however, is well-within my field of expertise.
It's a verse God-fearing church folks have quoted all their lives. It may be one of the first verses we commit to memory in Sunday school. It's a beautiful promise of scripture:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
For many believers, understanding this promise has been the first step of faith into a relationship with God. I'm not sure how many people "John 3:16 Guy" has converted through his sign ministry, but I can only imagine that bringing people to faith in Christ is his intention. Undoubtedly, this is the most common way we hear and read this passage.
This week, in our Ashes to Fire readings, we were taken back to the night-time rendezvous of Nicodemus and Jesus. As Jesus explains what it means to be "being born again", or as another translation says "being born from above", he says something to unbelieving Nicodemus about the significance of what God has done to provide eternal life. In the course of this dialogue, Jesus shares with Nicodemus what we know as John 3:16. At the end of this conversation, Nicodemus and Jesus bow for prayer, and Jesus leads him in the sinner's prayer…
…oh wait.
John 3 actually concludes rather anti-climatically. Nicodemus leaves this encounter with Jesus just as lost and unbelieving as he was before. I heard John 3:16 in context this week. It is part of a larger conversation – a conversation Jesus had with a friend. Nicodemus wasn't converted. He didn't "walk the aisle" or "pray through at the altar." He did, however, converse about the love of God that gave his one and only Son for a lost and dying world. Now that's something I'd like to hear more about.
I wonder what the church would look like if we made the truth of John 3:16 a part of our everyday conversation. We don't need more sign-holders…just some folks who are willing to sit with friends and talk about God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)