It's been nearly a year now since God rocked me out of my "safe zone" and led me to
Woodstock to be mentored by pastor. The crazy thing is that I'm back where I was a year ago as far as the thought process of "where do I go from here".
Initially I thought that I would sacrifice financially for 1 year for this amazing opportunity, but then God would put me back into a position of service making a more comfortable income to support the family. Now God has fixed my thinking. What if the step of faith to come to this point was just the first in a full flight of "faith step stairs"?
Dr. Price gave me some great insight recently when I was asking for his input in my life. He suggested that whatever excites me on the inside is where I should look to serve God. That is in the context of missions. Whether as a career missionary, a pastor leading a missional church, or as a missions pastor in a large church, I'm not sure. I may even be a church planter one day, but the context of missions is what excites me. I used to resent when people tried to pidgeon hole me as a "missions only" guy, partially because it was actually used against me in a court of "local church law", but also because there are many different areas of ministry that I enjoy, and I felt that people were saying I maybe I was inadequate to serve in other areas. Here's what I've learned. I'm overly paranoid sometimes, and in some other cases, I just need to get over things and move on. But I've also been reminded of an important principle. Other people will often discern your gifts or passions through observing you in action. People observed my love for missions in my life, even though I served in many areas of ministry.
Towards the end of my time at Acworth, I was able, with the help of some awesome givers and workers, to equip a pretty amazing block party trailer. We were able to do some parties in neighborhoods, as well as do some community events that impacted lives. They were even able to get into schools with the equipment after I left. I felt more fulfilled doing those activities than in most of the other things we did for the 3.5 years prior. I was able to lead groups from the church on international mission trips. They were awesome! I loved serving others and impacting lives. I also loved seeing others become passionate about serving God. Short term mission events are a great catalyst for encouraging people in their walk with God. I became passionate about serving God because of a summer spent in China during the beginning of my college career (remember, it was 11+ years from start to finish...too bad there's no retirement in that!).
I say all of that to get to this. I got to go with
Pastor Johnny to
Southeastern Seminary a couple of times this year. The first trip, I learned of the
2+2 program, where you go to school on campus for 2 years, then overseas doing church planting stuff for 2 years. At the end of the program, you have your M.Div. I like that program because I love doing missions. I also like the church planting side of it. I want to think like a missionary. I truly believe that pastors of the future that are going to reach their full potential for the Kingdom are going to have to think more like missionaries and less like traditionalists. The United States now has the 3rd highest non-Christian population in the world. We need pastors and church planters (many which already are) that are missional in their thinking.
Anyway, we went back recently, and I came under conviction that I need to do that program. That is fine with me. I really want to do it, but the issue is the timing. Is God wanting us to go now, or in the fall, or in the fall of '10, when we can have all student loans gone-which needs to be done before we can do anything with the IMB anyway. Questions Questions Questions. To go now, it would take an absolute miracle of God-but He does like to show off, and He has done so in an amazing way this year.
I say all of this to introduce this-it is a lesson I got to teach in a church in Russia back in January-just 2 weeks into the mentorship, when I didn't know if we would make it or not. My words have come back to "haunt" me, but they remind me of the faithfulness of God! Maybe they can encourage you.
Are we going to Wake Forest in 6 weeks? Probably not. Will we ever go? I don't know. I know that I desire to do something amazing and significant with my life, no matter in what area of ministry or the globe it is in. I remember a night of prayer when I told God I would leave Acworth, but please give me a direction to go. I need that direction again!
Introduction to FaithDefinitions of Faith
Biblical Definition:
Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the confidence that what we actually hope for will happen. It gives us assurance of what we cannot see.”
Dictionary Definition
Faith: belief and trust in and loyalty to God; complete trust; something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs
James 2:14 “Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone”
The faith that is being described here is “dead” faith, or useless faith. Some people might argue that Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, not works. That’s true, but he’s going deeper here. James is telling us that if we are true Followers of Jesus Christ, then our faith, though not purchased by our actions, will be proven by our actions. He is very bold here. He is saying if you are not living for, following or serving God, or loving and helping others, then you’re not a true follower of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 5:44 tells us to love our enemies. Matthew 22: 36-40: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
* This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
The Bible teaches that our actions are just as important as our faith. True faith has actions that accompany it. The faith the Bible is speaking of is a faith that changes your life! It changes the way that you think, which changes the way you live.
Faith is so much bigger than we can imagine. So many people think that the only purpose of faith in Jesus is so that you can go to heaven. That is selfish. It is true that if you believe Jesus died and rose again and if you ask Him to forgive you for your sins, but that is not to be the extent of your faith-just belief.
The faith of the Bible and true faith in Jesus results in following Jesus. It is active. Following Jesus means that you love God with every part of who you are-your emotions, your soul and your mind, and when you love God this way, it impacts the way that you live. When you love God this way, it changes the way you feel about others. Jesus says love God, and then love others-even our enemies!
That’s hard for me. If someone does wrong to me, I don’t love them, I resent them. Jesus says, “Love your enemies”. He says, “Love our neighbors as we love ourselves”.
This is important because Jesus loves people, and when you have true faith in Jesus, you love what Jesus loves. Everything Jesus did was because he loves people. Jesus is the ultimate example of unselfishness.
Faith that does not result in actions-in changing your desires and life-is not the kind of faith that allows us to go to heaven, because it is not true faith. True faith changes us.
Matthew 7:21 “Not every one that says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven”
True, authentic faith in Jesus Christ is not just an emotional experience or a simple prayer. It is a commitment to follow Jesus Christ with our lives, seeking to do His Will.
What is the Will of God? To love Him enough to follow Him with our lives, to love Him enough to do whatever He tells us to do, even if it doesn’t make sense! Faith in Christ is not about saying a prayer and then living life how we want to, just passively experiencing life. Faith in Christ is a decision that says “Get up and go!”
In His Book, Chasing Daylight , Erwin McManus states, “You cannot follow God in neutral.” “We react when we are forced out of neutrality. We act when we refuse to stay there.” “If there is one secret to seizing divine moments, it is that you must take the initiative.”
Faith in Christ is about acting upon what God leads us to do. We react to the call of God when we become a Christ follower. At that point, we act upon that decision actively following God. We must refuse to stay still when following God! Faith calls us to be active in pursuing God! What are your gifts and abilities? What are you good at? How can you use that to follow God? How can you use your gifts and abilities to help your church? How can you use your gifts and abilities to help others here in your city to come and know God?
The decision to become a Christian is just the beginning of faith. James 2:19 says that the Demons believe in Jesus and tremble. Faith is not just belief. Faith is a lifestyle of following Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 12:1-4 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.
* He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. 3 Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
[2]There are moments when God is going to test your faith. It’s easy to say, “Yes, I believe in Jesus so I can go to heaven.” It’s another situation to say, “Yes God, I’ll do whatever you want me to do, whenever and however you want me to do it.”
Faith won’t always make sense. It doesn’t make sense in the eyes of those who don’t know Jesus to share Jesus with others. It won’t always make financial sense. It won’t always make social sense. But, if you will follow God, have the faith that He desires for you to have, He will do amazing things in your life that you would never have imagined you could be a part of!
Philippians 3:12, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.”
Don’t miss the defining moments of your faith-when Jesus tests you to see how serious you are about following Him. Keep working your faith-keep following Jesus, so that one day you can be the follower of Christ that He desires for you to be.
Are you ready to really live the amazing life of faith that God desires for you to live? The life you live will depend on the decisions you make when God challenges and tests your faith, to see how serious you are about following Him. Faith will change your life!
