3 Important Choices That Lead To Powerful Missional Living

A powerful missional life just doesn't happen by chance.  It comes about because Christians make choices that lead them into that kind of lifestyle.  These choices are not always easy to make and if the truth be told they are often extremely difficult.

As we look at Moses we can see 3 choices that he had to make that allow him to powerfully join God on His mission.  These same 3 choices still face Christians today!   To make the choice the way God would have you will lead to greater effectiveness in shining the Light of Christ but to make the choice contrary to God will cause you to become impotent and ineffective in missional living.  

To choice God's way is not easy and will require you to have faith in God.  The outcome of your choices may not always be clear but your conviction to follow Christ is not only clear but firm and your trust that God will work all things out for good is steady.  Without faith you cannot please God - you cannot make the choices the way God would have you to make.  

The Bible verse to help us navigate in understanding these choice is found in Hebrews 11:24-26.

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward." (NIV)

Let us take a look at the 3 choices:

Choice #1:  Choose To Identify With God & Not The People Of The World

"By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter" (Vs. 24 NIV)

We all know the story of Moses of how Pharaoh, out of fear of having the Hebrew slaves grow so large in numbers that they might overthrow him, ordered that all the male children under a certain age be killed.  We remember how Moses' mother hid Moses until he was to big to hide any longer but then out of faith put baby Moses in a basket and floated him downstream. We've heard about how Pharaoh's daughter found the basket and fell in love with baby Moses and decided to raise him herself thereby making him a Prince of Egypt.  And in the palace of Pharaoh Moses was raised in the wealthiest country in the world.  He had pleasure, prestige, power and property.  He was living in the lap of luxury.  

That was until he was all grown up and decided to no longer live in the lap of luxury while his people were living as slaves.  He wanted to help his people. He wanted to find a way to ease their suffering.  MOSES GAVE UP THAT IDENTITY OF BEING A PRINCE OF EGYPT TO BE KNOWN AS A HEBREW SLAVE. 

As we intentionally set out to live a life on mission with Christ we too will be asked by God to exercise our faith to abandon our identity with the world and instead, be known as a Child of God.  We will be asked by God to stop considering ourselves as a member of this world but instead to consider ourselves as ambassador for the Kingdom of God.

When we make this choice most of the people in the world will not understand why we would do that.  Many people will ridicule us - make fun of us - and even malign our character for choosing it.  They will consider us foolish and even traitors.  

But we also need to keep in mind that how we view our identity will have a powerful effect on how we go about God's mission and how effective we will be in accomplishing His will. 

Choice #2:  Choose To Embrace Suffering Rather Than Pleasure

"He chose to be mistreated along with people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time."  (v.25 NIV)

Did you see that?  Moses chose to be mistreated!  That's amazing!  Instead, of living in the lap of luxury with everything your heart could ever want.  Moses gave it all up just to follow God and be obedient to him.  That requires a growing faith to make that kind of Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

.And it's not just about giving up the pleasures of the world (Egypt) but more importantly to give them up in favor to being mistreated by others who don't believe in God.  Moses could have enjoyed all the sinful pleasures that a wealthy life as a Prince of Egypt could offer.  But he chose not to.  Why? Partly because Moses realized that sin, though pleasurable, is only temporary but in like fashion he also realized that that the mistreatment he would experience was also only temporary.

In missional living we will experience the mistreatment from the people of this world.  By choosing Christ and obedience to His mission we become an enemy to the world and the rulers of this world. We could experience all the pleasures of the sinful lifestyle this world has to offer.  We could easily drown ourselves in debauchery and party until to our hearts content.  But we are willing to give it up!  Why? Because we know that with Christ's return comes the end of all of the pleasure of sin. 

But it's going to require faith for you to make that choice!  We can see sin and the pleasures that people get from their participation in it but we don't see Christ and all that he has offer yet.  We have to believe and trust that Christ will be true to his word.  THAT'S FAITH.

Choice #3:  Choose The World's Disgrace Over Getting Their  Approval.

"He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward."  (v. 26)

This is a choice of what's of most value to you!  Moses felt that being disgraced and dishonored by those of the world was of more value than all the riches in Egypt.  All the hate, all the name calling, all the beatings and even death was of worth more than all the treasures the world could gather together.  

Jesus express the same sentiments on the Sermon On The Mount in what we call the Beatitudes.  Read what he says:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11,12 (NIV)

According to Jesus we are "BLESSED" when we are insulted, persecuted and lied about all because Jesus.  We are to rejoice when these things happen because our reward in Heaven because of it. 

I'm not sure what you think but Jesus believed that our reward in Heaven is going to be far more valuable than all of the treasures of earth.  

You know, when suffer for Christ we are in really company. Moses suffered, all of the prophets of the Old Testament suffered and even Jesus' own disciples died because of their choice to follow Christ. and not submit to the opinions and attitudes of the world. 

3 Choices!  Making these 3 choices will greatly enhance your missional living.  It will help shine the Light of Christ brighter than you ever thought possible. 

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A Biblical Case Study For Using Civil Disobedience As A Missional Living Strategy

Does the Bible give us an example for using civil disobedience as a way to bring glory to God and live a powerful missional life?  If so, does the Bible shed light on "When" and "How" to use it properly?

Watch this video as I share a true story from the Bible and whats answers we can glean from it for these questions.

Biblical Case Study For Civil Disobedience In Missional Living

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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!

Missional Living Is Less About Me And More About The Other Guy!

"Living a powerful missional life isn't about you - it's about those who haven't heard the Good News of Christ yet!"

What do you think about that statement?  Haven't we always been taught that this is your life so you better make sure it what you want?  Most of the world has a very self-centered view point when it comes to living their lives.  They are looking for a life that will means something to them and will benefit them!

But I'm here to share with you that living a powerful missional life isn't about you and what you get out of it but it's about the other guy and what you can do for him!  

Missional Living is about sacrifice; about doing without; and putting aside you own personal desires in order to both please God and benefit those that are still lost in spiritual darkness. Missional Living is a lifestyle of self-sacrifice where you are willing to loose yourself - so others can find not themselves but in order for them to find Christ.

Jesus said that anyone who wishes to be great in God's Kingdom must first learn to become the servant of all.  So, I guess another way of looking at missional living is to look at it as a servant lifestyle where we are here to serves those who still need to find Christ and place their trust in him. 

But here's the irony of this whole thought.  There's no other way to find your life unless you are willing to first loose your life; you can't truly live unless you first die to self; personal satisfaction doesn't come from being a benefit to yourself but by first being a help to others. 

Let the words of Christ resonate in your thoughts and heart as you contemplate missional philosophy of living.

 "And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:23-26

What Can you learn from a ceramic teachers experiment about living a powerful missional life?

3 Hinderances To Living A Powerful Missional Life

When it comes to understanding how to live a missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ and the things that keep us from that kind of lifestyle we really need to consider three hinderances. These are three things that will keep you from any kind of desired lifestyle but especially a lifestyle that shines the Light of Christ on a day by day basis.

Hinderance #1:  Not Realizing What's Involved To Live A Powerful Missional Life

This is a problem of KNOWLEDGE.  You're failing to live that powerful missional life simply because you don't know what it takes to have that kind of lifestyle.  You don't know what skills are necessary, you don't know what kind of attitude is needed, and you don't know where to begin.  This hinderance is solved through education.  Anyone can gain the information needed for developing the skills of a powerful missional life; anyone can learn the common attitudes that most powerful missional people have and through training a person can begin to develop a road map, with a starting point identified, that they can use to pursue this kind of life.  EDUCATION IS THE SOLUTION!

Can Civil Disobedience Be A Tool For Living A Powerful Missional Life?

Hinderance #2:  Not Pursuing A Powerful Missional Life

This is a problem of MOTIVATION!  If motivation is the issue keeping you from living a powerful missional life that's because you have competing desires pulling your heart away from shining the Light of Christ.  This might be because you haven't fully surrender both your heart and will over to the authority and control of Christ.  It may be that we still think that the world has something to offer us and have failed to come to a heart conviction that all pursuits of this world is meaningless.  We are still trying to seek both the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world in the same time.  The solution to this hinderance is an experience with God that creates a total brokenness of our heart and soul.  It's an experience with the living God that brings a new passion, a new desire and new goals.  It's an experience that leaves us with just one desire and that's to be in complete harmony with the desires of God.  BROKENNESS IS THE SOLUTION!

Hinderance #3:  Not Achieving A Powerful Missional Life

This is a problem of persistence.  If you know what to do and you have a true hearts desire to live that powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ in your part of this dark world but still haven't accomplished it yet it becomes a matter of just not giving up!  It's deposition of tenacity.  It's that warrior or athlete attitude that says, "No matter what I will never quit; I will never give up; I will never surrender.  With my very last breath I will be pursuing living that missional life that makes Christ known.  People who don't quit are the ones who achieve their desired lifestyles and goals.  For them it's just a matter of time.  It's not "If" they achieve it but "When" they achieve it.  PERSISTENCE IS THE SOLUTION.

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What Can We Learn About Missional Living From A Ceramic Teachers Experiment?

Principles for Missional Living can be learned from many different sources, including from an experiment that a ceramic teacher did with his class.  I pray that you will be encouraged, empowered and equipped to never quit pursuing a powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ.  Watch this video and see what you learn!

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What Can We Learn From Major League Baseball Player Hank Aaron About Powerful Missional Living

Sometimes we can learn the greatest lesson about shining the Light of Christ from people in different professions!  Today we are going to look at Major League Baseball Player Hank Aaron and a lesson his career can afford us to live powerful missional lives.  Watch this video and be both encouraged and inspired to go shine the Light of Christ brightly in your part of this dark world. 

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Living A Powerful Missional Life Is A Lot Like Playing A Good A Good Poker Hand

Did you know that living a powerful missional life that brightly shines the Light of Christ is a lot like being able to play a good hand at poker?  That's right! There is an important lesson we can learn from those really great poker players that we can apply to our missional living strategies.  

In this video I am going to share with you 1 essential lesson for shining the Light of Christ brightly that we can learn from poker.  It is a powerful lesson and if you can effectively apply it to your life will amp up the voltage of brightness in being the Light of the World.

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1 Essential Activity For Powerful Missional Living

Have you ever wondered what you can do to shine the Light of Christ brightly through missional living?  After all not everyone is able to physically go door to door evangelizing! Right?  Well here is one activity that all Disciples of Christ can do in living a missional life!  Watch this short video and begin to put it into practice and thereby allowing the Light of Christ to shine brightly in your part of this dark world and all over the world as well!

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2 Approaches For Dealing With Missional Living Failures

If you haven't already figured it out yet you will soon but no one lives a perfect missional life all the time!  We try new things like sharing our testimony but mess up; or we try to explain the Gospel only to stumble all over the place.  How we deal with these failure will greatly determine if we become successful at living a powerful missional life or experience the death of our missional living.  Watch this video and be encouraged to never quit or give up!

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SHOULD CHRISTIANS BOYCOTT BUSINESSES? A Missional Living Perspective

Should Christians who are on mission with Christ boycott companies just because they don't agree with their social agenda?  Undoubtedly you've been encouraged to do so! But is that the best approach when your desire and aim is to shine the Light of Christ brightly in your part of this dark world?  MAYBE NOT! 

Take a few moment and watch this video to learn about a different perspective when it comes to this practice of Christians boycotting companies.  Now please know that I am not ruling out the possibility that boycotting is appropriate especially when it comes to some group like, Planned Parenthood, who as part of their service kill babies and sell their body parts.  I am referring to companies that have legitimate service and goods but maybe their social agenda isn't what we would want as a Christian  

Watch the video and then leave a comment sharing your thoughts. Please remember to keep your commitments respective and not hurtful.  

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5 Biblical Principles For Shining The Light Of Christ

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

#1:  ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE THE LIGHT - NOT JUST SOME!

"You are the light ..."

Having the Light of Christ isn't for just a few special people. Every single person who has given their life over to Christ by faith has the light!

#2:  CHRISTIANS ARE TO SHINE THE LIGHT IN THE WORLD - NOT CHURCH BUILDINGS!

"You are the light of the world ..."

To much of what we do to shine the Light of Christ happens in building tucked away from the real world.  The people who need to see the Light of Christ are not coming into our church buildings. Christ told us to go shine His light in the world.  

#3:  CHRISTIANS ARE TO DISPLAY THE LIGHT - NOT HIDE IT!

"A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."

We are not to hide the light away so nobody knows that you follow Christ. Instead, we are to shine His light in a way that lots of people can see it and benefit from it.

#4:  GOOD DEEDS IS THE ILLUMINATION OF THE LIGHT - NOT JUST WORDS!

"let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds"

Doing good deeds or loving actions is a way to illuminate people's lives so they can see Christ and God's love.

#5:  THE GOAL IS TO GLORIFY GOD - NOT OUSELVES!

"glorify your Father in heaven"

The goal of shining the Light of Christ is for people to glorify God the Father.  It should never be our aim to get the glory for ourselves. The glory always belongs to God and God alone!

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