Some stuff God is teaching me right now:
Verses followed by some of the stuff flying through my mind....Philippians 2
Imitating Christ's Humility
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to deathÂ?
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
He continues when he talks about Timothy.....
19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
Before I comment personally, I also heard T.D. Jakes speak yesterday...
In many ways he is what I'm not but I like to see him from time to time.
He said "It all starts with 1 man."
Below is not word for word but rather my interpretation of his point...
- God used 1 man to start off humanity
- God used 1 man to pull out the woman
- God used that same 1 man together with that woman to create the family
- God used that family from that woman and man which are from that man to create society...
- God used 1 man to lead his family to suffer a great flood to start over with all of the world
- God used 1 man in Moses to take his people out of captivity
- God used 1 man to create a covenant that would bless the world
- God used 1 man to show so many lessons in scripture (1 man at a time)
- God used 1 man to prepare the way for the Messiah
- God used 1 God-man to save the world
In your life and mine the question is not IF God would use you, the question is IF you will step out and be that 1 man?
The difference in the man that God uses is that when adversity hits him he moves forward, not backward.
Okay... A week or so ago I saw the movie "Kingdom of Heaven". The battle scenes are similar to "Braveheart". Ministry in many aspects are like these battles. 1 man can't do it all but 1 man can rise up to inspire people to fight and do what God has already called them to do.
When I was a kid (and I'm sure you can identify with me here), I recall times when a bunch of friends would stand around and say "If you do it, I'll do it" One time I remember something like riding my BMX bike down some steps... it looked like a hospital bill waiting to happen. What was funny about those times in life was that there usually would be that 1 kid who would say "Get out of the way, I'm done waiting" and they'd just go for it. Sometimes they'd fall but many times they'd do it. Do you know what that did for the rest of us?
You've been there. Once your friend did it... you'd go too. Before you know it in a few weeks all of your friends would have a new game to play and half of the neighborhood would be treating those steps like they were nothing.
Ministry is a full-contact sport. You will face times when the steps seem too steep and your bike seems like a medical bill waiting to happen. The question is not whether those steps will be ridden, the question is "who will be the first?" Who will step out in spite of potential failure and inspire everyone else to rise?
I don't know about you but I want to be that 1 man in my home. I want to be that 1 man in my town. I want to be that 1 man in my state. I want to be that 1 man in my country... Ohh yeah... I want to be that 1 man in our church.
We're going to be experiencing some rocky times at our church. I could use your prayers. I said a few weeks ago that I was over long-time Christians. I'm not all talk. We'll be seeing some changes soon. It will get ugly but after we've ridden the stairs I believe with all of my being that I will be looking back from the bottem and seeing many who will ride those stairs and a new culture at our church will be born.
Are you in my shoes? Do you know in your heart of hearts that you've settled for medocrity? Are there people you have to face? Will you be that 1 man?
4 comments:
It would appear that I am getting another job. I've been leading our people to see the need to serve our community. We had our Superintendent of Schools speak to us a month or so ago in the morning worship time.
I recently started getting everything in order to become a substitute Bus Driver, and a substitute Teacher. This morning the Principal of the High School called to see if I would be interested in filling in for a teacher who is going out on Maternity Leave (until the end of December). This week meanwhile has been pretty busy getting Bus driving stuff done.
It would appear that God is putting things in place for me to practice what I've been preaching. Spose that could mean that I need to be the one.
Tally you can count on being in my prayers....transition is always a tough thing....but is definately neccessary....Shawn Lovejoy is the pastor at mountain lake church and when we started Ridge Stone Church our staff went out to visit their church...he told us about people who would come in and have their own idea how church should look and run...he told us to be mean about our vision....that is something I will never forget...God has given you a vision and don't let anyone stand in your way...no matter how big a part they played in the beginning and no matter how much they give....Stir it up man and clean house if you need to....keep it up man!
Can God microwave a burrito so hot that He Himself cannot eat it?
Awesome post! I like the idea of not being the man everything hinges on but becoming the man who helps others become who they really are. Great insight on the aspects of humility + inspiration.
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