At our MSG (Mid Sized Group) we’re starting a series looking at how God brings about change in our lives, what's knownin the trade as “progressive sanctification”.
This isn’t just a nice thing to do know about – it’s the ball game!
We’ve been called by God to become like his Son (Rom 8:29, Gal 4:19, 2 Cor 3:18 just for starters…it’s all over the place….the image of God in us which is all marred and distorted is to be straightened out so we can reflect his glory to the world) and this isn’t just “something we gotta do”, it’s our purpose, our calling AND the source of all joy.
I want more than anything to find, ultimately, all my joy and satisfaction in Christ.
I want to be a man who says “all I need is Jesus” but I quickly discover that, in fact, I need a pile of other things to be satisfied (the affirmation of others, healthy kids, a tidy work space, time for “me” so I can watch the films I want to watch, evidence of fruitful ministry, friends who don’t disappoint me…..and the list goes on and on.
So the question is how do I get to a place where these things, great as they are, have their rightful position and are not in the place of Jesus as the source of all joy and satisfaction in my life. But most importantly of all, how on earth do I make sure these things don’t rob God of the glory that is due to him because of the fact that I end up saying “Hey Jesus is really good but he, the Son of God and my Redeemer, is not, actually, when it comes down to it, in the final analysis enough for me.” To say such a thing is an outrage, a grievous evil against the holy God who is our Father and yet…..and yet, you and I say it by our actions all the time.
The great news of the gospel is that God wants to change us by his grace. He loves us and wants to rescue us from a life wasted by making other stuff ultimate. He loves us as we are but he loves us too much to leave us as we are. That’s fantastic!
So at MSG for a while we’re going to be taught about how this ongoing work of God changing us, this sanctification, actually works. The Bible teaching is going to be done Matt Chandler as we listen to his sermon series “The Path”. I think his teaching is superb and incredibly helpful and the Lord has certainly used it to work in my own life.
I'm looking forward to it!
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
God @ Work
I have a passion to help people to see their workplaces as arenas for gospel ministry.
Historically Christians have so majored on the church "gathered" that the church "scattered" has been the poor relation. The fact is that we are as much church when we're in the board room, factory, kitchen, classroom, or bar as we are when we are "at" church. However to our shame and great cost we've created a sacred-secular divide where we believe that the stuff that really matters to God are church services, bible studies and "singing carols outside Tescos" but closing a million pound deal, reducing our golf handicap or putting in the third lot of washing is well....."secular". The fact is, of course, that God is mad keen about all of it and everything can, and should, be done in such a way as to shine a spotlight on Jesus.
This term at LBC we're going to be ramping up our commitment to encouraging whole-life missionary discipleship in several ways including a five part sermon series. I'd also like to make available the following prayer that I hope will be a challenge and an encouragement:
My Heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I acknowledge your presence ahead of me.
I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your perfect order into this office.
I acknowledge Your power over all that will be spoken, thought, decided, and done within these walls.
Lord, I thank You for the gifts you have blessed me with. I commit to using them responsibly in Your honour.
Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job. Anoint my projects, ideas and energy, so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory.
Lord, when I am confused, guide me. When I am weary, energise me. When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.
May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy, and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.
And Oh Lord, when I leave this place, give me travelling mercy.
Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.
Lord, I thank you for everything You've done, everything You're doing, and everything You're going to do.
In the Name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving....Amen.
Historically Christians have so majored on the church "gathered" that the church "scattered" has been the poor relation. The fact is that we are as much church when we're in the board room, factory, kitchen, classroom, or bar as we are when we are "at" church. However to our shame and great cost we've created a sacred-secular divide where we believe that the stuff that really matters to God are church services, bible studies and "singing carols outside Tescos" but closing a million pound deal, reducing our golf handicap or putting in the third lot of washing is well....."secular". The fact is, of course, that God is mad keen about all of it and everything can, and should, be done in such a way as to shine a spotlight on Jesus.
This term at LBC we're going to be ramping up our commitment to encouraging whole-life missionary discipleship in several ways including a five part sermon series. I'd also like to make available the following prayer that I hope will be a challenge and an encouragement:
My Heavenly Father, as I enter this work place, I acknowledge your presence ahead of me.
I speak Your peace, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your perfect order into this office.
I acknowledge Your power over all that will be spoken, thought, decided, and done within these walls.
Lord, I thank You for the gifts you have blessed me with. I commit to using them responsibly in Your honour.
Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job. Anoint my projects, ideas and energy, so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring You glory.
Lord, when I am confused, guide me. When I am weary, energise me. When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.
May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy, and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.
And Oh Lord, when I leave this place, give me travelling mercy.
Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.
Lord, I thank you for everything You've done, everything You're doing, and everything You're going to do.
In the Name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving....Amen.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Reckless?
Challenged by tonight's service led by the young people of the A2 group. Their theme: Being Reckless for God.
They made the point that there's good and bad recklessness and the kind that the Bible advocates is the kind where we act in response to the call of God and leave the outcome to Him. We were reminded that it's not just about the big stuff like getting martyred, it's also about the small stuff.....walking across a classroom/boardroom/factory floor/open plan office/bar to deliver some act of undeserved kindness....abandoning the outcome to God. Faith.
Given that it says somewhere that without faith it's impossible to please God I'm asking what I'm currently doing that without God coming through with his presence and power I'm going to fall flat on my face. What am I doing that constitutes this reckless, "abandoning the outcome to God" kind of faith?
I'm also reflecting on the motivation for this "reckless" living. It's got to be the Cross. Surely it's the Cross that propels me into risky living and enables me to know that however it turns out God is still 100% for me and he will use all things - even spectacular failures - to display his glory.
Anyway....great service from the YP.
Also liked seeing my elder son "in the pulpit" doing his first bit of preaching!
They made the point that there's good and bad recklessness and the kind that the Bible advocates is the kind where we act in response to the call of God and leave the outcome to Him. We were reminded that it's not just about the big stuff like getting martyred, it's also about the small stuff.....walking across a classroom/boardroom/factory floor/open plan office/bar to deliver some act of undeserved kindness....abandoning the outcome to God. Faith.
Given that it says somewhere that without faith it's impossible to please God I'm asking what I'm currently doing that without God coming through with his presence and power I'm going to fall flat on my face. What am I doing that constitutes this reckless, "abandoning the outcome to God" kind of faith?
I'm also reflecting on the motivation for this "reckless" living. It's got to be the Cross. Surely it's the Cross that propels me into risky living and enables me to know that however it turns out God is still 100% for me and he will use all things - even spectacular failures - to display his glory.
Anyway....great service from the YP.
Also liked seeing my elder son "in the pulpit" doing his first bit of preaching!
Eastwood's Last
Watched Gran Torino (2008) last night. What a great film! It's hard to describe it and do the theological reflection I'd love to do without giving away the killer twist at the end. But I'll have a bit of a go....
Clint Eastwood, in what he says is his last appearance as an actor, plays a racist veteran of the Korean war who despises the ethnic minorities who have moved into,and he would say ruined, his neighbourhood. James Christopher in The Times wrote: "I doubt there's another actor who could smuggle this much toxic xenophobia into a thriller and make it look like a forgivable generational quirk". He plays the part brilliantly. However, when his "gook" neighbours find themselves harassed by gangs Clint comes to their aid. In so doing he finds a level of redemption for himself and, in a climax that spectacularly avoids the easy Death Wish/vigilante cliche, the neighbours also find their freedom.
Definitely worth a look.
Clint Eastwood, in what he says is his last appearance as an actor, plays a racist veteran of the Korean war who despises the ethnic minorities who have moved into,and he would say ruined, his neighbourhood. James Christopher in The Times wrote: "I doubt there's another actor who could smuggle this much toxic xenophobia into a thriller and make it look like a forgivable generational quirk". He plays the part brilliantly. However, when his "gook" neighbours find themselves harassed by gangs Clint comes to their aid. In so doing he finds a level of redemption for himself and, in a climax that spectacularly avoids the easy Death Wish/vigilante cliche, the neighbours also find their freedom.
Definitely worth a look.
Friday, 1 January 2010
A Great Night!
Last night's LBC party was just fab.... I reckon it was one of my favourite New Year's eves I've had. I just loved it. We've not done one before and it worked brilliantly with young and old having a great time with trad party games, combined with a bit of a barn dance and a bit of a disco. At LBC we never used to be much good at doing this kind of fun stuff together but with a number of events under our belt I think we're getting there.....we're learning to play together which is more than just a nice thing, it's really significant for our calling.
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