BUILDING A STRONG LIFE FOR MISSIONAL LIVING: Laying A Foundation Of Obedience

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Anything building you construct is only as strong as the foundation that you lay. This also true in constructing a strong life for missional living. The foundation isn’t just a good idea but an essential element. You can’t have a strong life without a strong foundation.

Jesus at the end of His Sermon On The Mount talks about the kind of foundation that can weather the powerful and destructive storms that life will throw at God’s people as they are joining Christ on His mission. He uses a story to illustrate the kind of foundation that Christians need.

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mind and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The rains fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27

6 Lessons To Learn From This Story

1. Everyone Goes Through Storms In Life. Going through storms in life is a matter of “If” but just a matter of “When”. Everyone goes through difficult times that can rock a person to the very core of who they are. The storms might be financial, physical, and if you are intentionally trying to live a life on mission with Christ some of those storms can be in the form of persecutions for you faith and obedience to Christ. YOU WILL HAVE STORMS!

2. The key to weathering the storms and not collapsing is the foundation your life is built upon. Every person needs to really think through what kind of foundation they are building their life upon. Is it built on a solid rock that would give way or is it build upon the sand that has absolutely no stability at all. The determining factor on whether you life will stand or come crashing down during the storms of life is dependent upon the foundation you have built your life upon.

3. According to Jesus ALL PEOPLE fall into one of two categories. When you break life down to its lowest common denominator all people are either wise who make really good decisions or fools who haven’t given proper consideration to the choices they make. There’s no grey area. It’s either one or the other.

4. Both the wise person and the foolish person have one thing in common. They both have just heard Jesus speak the words of the Sermon On The Mount. They both heard what Jesus had to say about how to live life in a Godly way. They both understood what He meant.

5. There’s one distinguishing difference between the two (wise and fool). While both of the them heard what Jesus had taught, it was only the wise person who also obeys. The fool hears but disobeys. Obedience to Christ and His teachings is the solid rock foundation that allows a person to weather the storms of life. Disobedience is the sandy foundation that cannot hold a life together during those same storms.

OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST IS THE FIRM FOUNDATION YOU MUST BUILD YOUR LIFE UPON!

3 Applications To Laying A Foundation Of Obedience To Christ:

1. Daily hear the teaching and commands of Christ.

   “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth ….” Joshua 1:8a

2. Meditate on those teaching and apply them to your life.

   “… but you shall meditate on them day and night ….” Joshua 1:8b

3. Be doers of the word.

   “ … so that you will be careful to do all that is written with in it. For then will you make your ways prosperous and then will you have good success.” Joshua 1:8c

So now that you have read this blog post what are you going to do about it? What is God saying to you? How are you going to obey Christ today and thereby build that strong foundation of obedience to Christ?

Please share you answer as a comment and thereby encourage the rest of us.

Missional Living Is Just Life With A Purpose

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Watch And Be Encouraged!

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LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY

DOES THE THOUGHT OF GOING AFTER THE PEOPLE JESUS WOULD GO AFTER WORRY YOU?

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"Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear him (Jesus). But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. Then Jesus told them this parable: 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:1-7 (NIV)

The Pharisees had constructed a very sophisticated religious bubble to insulate themselves from those who lived in the outside world. They had very little contact with those people and considered them to be sinners and unclean. In one hand the Pharisees were afraid that having any contact with these kinds of people would contaminate them but on the other hand they were hypocrites and just as sinful as anyone else.

But Jesus, in contrast, being the only truly righteous person lived, ministered and befriended those who were part of the sinful outside world. He hung out with them, he ate with them, he laughed and cried with them. He was truly a friend to the sinners.

Jesus' actions and attitudes toward sinners was very disturbing to the Pharisees! So they began to mutter amongst themselves about it. The HCSB translations says they began to complain about it. Isn't that amazing? Here is a person doing good and then you have a group of people "complaining" about it. Why would they complain? The Bible doesn't say why but maybe it was because they felt that Jesus' actions challenged their acceptable way of doing religion. They had set up a whole system of being isolated from the outside world, giving the appearance that they had it all together with the intent of attracting others to their way of doing things. But the problem was that they were hypocrites and they didn't have it all together. Their lifestyle was a lie and therefore ineffective. But here comes Jesus and he does have it all together. He's perfect. There is no hypocrisy in Christ at all and he is not isolating himself from the sinners of the world. In fact he is enjoying their company far more than he enjoyed the company of the Pharisees. So from the Pharisees perspective everything they had built Jesus was now condemning and tearing down by his new approach.

Maybe they were complaining because they personally were not comfortable with people who lived and worked in the outside sinful world. Maybe they didn't know how to relate to them. Maybe their dress, smell, speech and lifestyle were so different from what the Pharisees had become accustom to that they felt totally out of place around them.

Or maybe, they were jealous of the success and attention that Jesus was getting from the outside world! The people were no longer, if they ever did, looking to the Pharisees for spiritual direction now that they had a man who walked and lived amongst them showing them the way. The message of grace that Christ brought verses the message of works that the Pharisees taught was so different that the teaching of Christ was like a breath of fresh air and attracted the masses like bee's to honey. And I am quite sure that the Pharisees became very jealous of his apparent success.

No one really knows the reasons for their complaining. We just know that they did and I think, for those of us who are intentionally trying to pursue the mission of Christ, we can learn a very important lesson. Not every person who claims to have a relationship with God will be excited or supportive of our mission endeavors. In many respects the church of North America has become filled with our own brand of Pharisees. Maybe not in theology but at least in attitude. We have built our own "spiritual bubbles" and spend our time meeting in building trying to outshine each other. We think that we have built a very attractive religious model that those on the outside looking in will want to have. But the reality is that no one is really looking and what they do see may not be very attractive at all. And when follower of Christ actually begins to go out where the people are who need salvation it just might upset others who are comfortable in their nice pretty church buildings.

The thought of pastors or church members going into bars, parties of "those" sinners or any function that the church classifies as worldly in order to build relationships with the unchurched will be appalling to many and even cause a lot of church goers to worry. Yes, the Bible does say that Christians are not to "of the world" but it also does say that Christians are to be "in the world" and the light of the world. Many times the ones you would expect to receive the most encouragement from, as you pursue the mission of Christ, are the ones who cause you the most grief. Sometimes the biggest anxiety we experience as we go after “the least of these” are from our church family! They criticize us and even condemn us for going to places where sinners go.

But don't lose heart and don’t worry! Remember that you are following Christ's example and obeying his commands in this search for his lost sheep. While the work may be hard, discouraging and even difficult it will also ultimately be worthwhile and fulfilling. SO PRESS ON MI AMIGO!

Does the thought of going after the kinds of people that Jesus went after create worry and anxiety in you life? Don’t worry about that, you are not alone in that feeling! We are all used to going after people who more like us than we are people who are different from us. However, we can’t allow the worry and anxiety keep us for pursuing those people! They are people whom God loves and died for us. The Great Commission is for us to go to “ALL” the world. Not just part of it.

If you are going to be obedient to Christ then worry is something that you will need to eliminate from your life! You will need a strategy. A Biblical strategy based on Biblical principles and practices!

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY is book that will teach you those Biblical Principles and Practices and will lead you through a process to develop your own personal strategy for living a WORRY FREE LIFE!

LIVING ON MISSION IN SPITE OF MY WORRY was named as an AMAZON #2 BEST SELLER in the 2 categories of Missions/Missionary practices and Counseling/Recovery.

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A Powerful Missional Life Is All About Pressing On With God's Mission

In Philippians 3:13-15 we read hear the Apostle Paul admonishing us to press on, never give up, never stop but strain and push your way to the finish line.  Read for yourself how Paul puts it:

"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.  All of us who are mature should take such a view of things ...."

When it comes to living a powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ this should be our marching verse!  KEEP ON PRESSING ON!  Being on mission with Christ is not like a sprint race but more like a marathon race.  To finish the part of God's mission He has given to us to do will take years, along with lots of pain, sorrow and heart ache.  The temptation to quit will at times will be almost hard to overcome if we are not mentally and spiritually prepared to go the distance. 

This video is the first of 3 messages I brought for Agape Baptist Church in Tucson, AZ during their 3 day retreat with the theme of PRESSING ON!  I share it with you because this is a Word from our Lord not just for a few but for all of us who confess Jesus as Lord and have committed ourselves to follow Him.  As you watch it be encouraged but also be challenged for the work that our Lord has called us to is the greatest work in all of creation.  Don't allow the temporal things of this world blind you or fool you to think that the work that Christ has called us to is of little significance!  For it's not!  THE WORK WE DO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK YOU WILL EVER UNDERTAKE!  I pray that Christ will speak to you!

Did You Find This Video To Be Encouraging?  Then Share It With Your Christian Family & Friends On Facebook, Twitter and Other Social Media!  Thanks

We'd love to hear your thoughts!  Leave a comment and share what you thought of this message!

Do You Feel Inadequate Making Disciples For Christ?

Many of God's people feel inadequate in the obedience to Christ in the making of disciples of all peoples!  Why? A lack of competence and confidence!  Watch this video to learn the solution to this problem.  

Please share this video to your friends of Facebook and Twitter!

Compassion: A Key Component To Missional Living

Having compassion is essential for living a powerful missional life.  Without compassion it is truly isn't possible to share Jesus! Why? Because Jesus embodies compassion!  He is the personification of compassion!  If you are not compassionate you cannot fully represent Jesus to a lost and dying world.  The message of Christ and the Heart of Christ must go hand in hand.

From the story of the Good Samaritan we can learn 3 essential activities to express compassion.  First let's read the story and then I will share with you these 3 activities.

"In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”  Luke 10:30-37 (NIV)

First Activity:  SEE:

The first thing that you need to do before you can truly show compassion on someone who is in need is to look and see the person in need.  All three of the men walking by saw the man who had been robed and beaten.  They saw his trouble and difficulty.  But I fear that in todays world we can go through an entire day never really seeing those around us who are in suffering and pain.  I fear that we can actually walk by people who have given up on life and are barely existing and never see them or even know they are there because we are too wrapped up in our own little life.  How can you show compassion for someone if you aren't looking to see if people are hurting? THE FIRST STEP IS TO LOOK & SEE!

Second Activity: STOP:

While seeing is the first step it does absolutely no good if we aren't willing to stop and inquire about the other person and how they are doing.  If you see and keep walking by you accomplish nothing except for developing an even harder heart.  To stop means to check on the person, talk to the person, asking them if they are ok, inquiring and evaluating on what you learn.  When the Good Samaritan stop he discovered the man was naked, beaten and bleeding. He needed medical attention. He needed someone to come alongside him and do for him what he was unable to do for himself.  When we stop we are discovering what the needs of the person truly is.  THE SECOND ACTIVITY IS TO STOP & EVALUATE.

Third Activity:  SERVE:

Once you've seen and stopped if you truly want to be compassionate you will need to then serve the person in need. You will have to alter you planned activities in order to help this person you have discovered in need.  If don't believe it was in the plans of that Samaritan to pickup a stranger, nurse him, take him to an inn and pay for his medical care.  But that's how the story goes that Jesus told.  To truly show compassion to person in need you will have to serve them and serving them will cost you.  It will cost you time, money, and emotional energy. It will mean you will have to put on hold other things you have planned to help this stranger. THE THIRD ACTIVITY IS TO SERVE & GIVE!

When God's people can truly learn to show this kind of compassion for all people and not just those we like then the Light of Christ will truly shine brighter than ever in this spiritually dark world.  When we can show this compassion then the people of the world will want to know about our relationship with God because we will have proven to them how much they mean to us. 

You see most people could care less how much you know - until they know how much you care.  This kind of compassion proves you care!

How To Keep Moving Forward In Missional Living When Things Get Tough

How do you keep going in missional living when things get discouraging and difficult? That is the question we are going to look at in todays Missional Living Devotional.

Missional Living: How To Know God's Dream For Your Life!

Today in our Missional Living Devotional we are going to look at the need for having a dream if we are going to achieve great things as we live a missional life.  But the question that needs to be raised is, “Where does that dream come from?”  Do we create our own dream? Some people do. Do we allow some other person to tell us what our dream should be?  Some people do! 

 Today I am going to suggest that as Followers of Christ we should allow God to give us the dreams that we pursue and not allow them to come from man.  Why? To answer that let's take a look at what the Bible says 1 Cor. 2:9

 “However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him”

Why should let God be the one to determine the dreams we pursue? Because no human being can dream up a dream big enough that can please God.  When you allow God to give you your dreams for you to pursue you will be blow away. 

Today we are going to use Jesus as our example.  Allowing God the Father to reveal His dreams and purposes was Jesus’ way for knowing what he was to pursue while here on earth. 

 “Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.”  John 5:19-25

 I.  God’s Dream For Us Always Relates To What He Is Already Doing! 

 “ …the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing”  (v. 19)

 A.    God is already and always at His work! You don’t have get God working – He’s already working.

 “In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." John 5:7

 B.  God isn’t sitting up in Heaven twittling his thumbs waiting for us to ask him to do something.  God is already busy about his work.

 ·       The Call Of Moses (God said, "I have come down to … therefore I’m sending you.")

·       The Call Of Noah (I have come down to destroy the earth but saving you … therefore build a boat)

This is not a work we do for God but it's a work we do with God.  It’s His work that he’s already doing and will do it through us.

II.  God Reveals His Dream For Us And Invites Us To Join Him! (v. 20)

 ·       God’s dream for you life isn’t discovered but revealed to you by God.  You don't hunt after God's will as if it was hidden somewhere - God shows you what His will is.

·       How did Moses know he would deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt?  God told him.

·       How did Noah know he was to build a boat?  God told him.

·       How did Abraham know He would have a son in his old age?  God told him.

·       How did Joshua know how to defeat the city of Jericho and that the wall would come crashing down? God told him.

·       How will you know what God’s dream for you is?  God will tell you!

Two Important principles to remember: 

1. Whenever God spoke to someone they all knew it was God speaking to them.
2. Whenever God spoke to someone they all knew exactly what He was saying. 

Take A Look At The Prophet Jonah: He knew it was God talking to him; he knew what God wanted but he just didn’t want to do it.  Even after he did it and the people repented he griped and complained because he knew that if they repented he would forgive them.

III.  God Invites Us To Join Him Because He Has A Relationship With Us! (v. 20)

 It’s A Love Relationship:

1.       It’s out of his love for us that He doesn’t leave us in the dark what is happening or what is going to happen.

2.       It’s out of His love for us that he give us an eternal sense of purpose for life.

It’s A Friendship Relationship:

 “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:15-16

 1.       Did you notice that Jesus refers to His disciples (that includes us) as His friends!  How amazing is that?  What better friend can you have than Jesus? And what great compliment can you be given than for Christ to think of you as His friend?

2.       Did you notice how much Jesus makes known to us from God the Father?  EVERYTHING!

In other words Jesus holds nothing back!  When it comes to a “Need to know basis” you’re in the need to know group!

 IV.  What Do You Need To Do To Get God To Reveal His Dream?

 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6 (NIV)

 JUST ASK IN FAITH!

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