Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast & Blog

Archives for July 2009

Suffering? – Do It For Christ

Ever feel like you are in prison for no reason? Maybe you have been physically imprisoned for preaching Gospel, much like the Apostle Paul. But for most of us, I would say, there are setbacks that feel like spiritual prison – physical ailment, relational conflict, ministry opposition. Its an age-old question, “God, why would you allow this in my life?”

Paul found himself in many similar situations. Why would God allow somebody as gifted as Paul to face such opposition and even be imprisoned? Seems like a waste of a good resource, huh?

If you’ve ever read the New Testament, you’ll realize that Paul did not live an easy life. He was in and out of prison, sick in body, and faced persecution on all sides. Yet he is the man who says:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me [imprisonment] has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).

Paul’s imprisonment actually served to advance the Gospel because people knew He stood for Christ.

As a Christian, there is no inherent blessing in suffering. We don’t go looking for ways to fight , get sick, or be imprisoned just to be more righteous. That is called ridiculousness.

But the Apostle Paul also says this:

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have” (Philippians 1:29-30).

If you are a child of God, taking ground for the Kingdom, you are engaged in conflict. The enemy of your soul will oppose you. This is a privilege from God, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer.

Expect it and rejoice. Never lose heart. Fight the good fight. God is with you. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

We are engaged in a war that has already been won.

Leader Lessons: Dominate or Empower?

Are you responsible for leading people? Do you have a heart to see others reach their full potential? Is there a cause on your heart that drives your every day? You are a leader, my friend. And how you handle that role means everything to those you lead.

In I Kings 12, Rehoboam inherited his father’s throne. He was approached by his people with a simple request to lighten the load of work. They were willing to serve Rehoboam, but the workload was unreasonable.

Rehoboam could have used his authority here to empower his people, but instead, he dominated them and spoke very harsh words. In the end, the Kingdom of Israel was divided.

As a leader, you have the influence to either empower or dominate those who follow you. It doesn’t mean you must compromise your goals to match everyone’s preference. It does mean you lead with compassion. To be a great leader, you must adopt these two realities:

  1. A driving passion for a certain cause
  2. Accomplishing it through real people (with feelings, limitations, insecurities, etc)

If you’re all about the cause and lead without compassion, you will dominate and alienate those who follow you. They will leave you. If you are all about the people and have no driving passion, you will simply have a social club.

You must have a cause that burns in your heart and yet lead in such a way that empowers others to accomplish it with you.

How do I empower, you may ask?

More to come…

The Will of God

Last night we began our “Fashionable” series, starting with Romans 12:1-2:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

This was my main thought: The will of God is more about WHO you are than WHAT you do.

So often we obsess over the details of WHAT God wants us to do that we neglect WHO we are becoming according to His Word.

Sometimes God speaks to our hearts and tells us what to do, where to go, what job to take. Other times, according to Romans 12, we are to make decisions based off a renewed mind. We are to discern what the will of God is in all situations because we are daily offering ourselves to God in surrender, not being conformed to this world, and having our minds renewed according to Scripture.

Here are some one-liner helps. Hope they are a help!

  • Make decisions based off a renewed mind
  • Knowing the will of God is developed from a lifestyle, not always a moment
  • Don’t use prayer as an excuse for doing nothing
  • There is something I can do now as I get to where I am going
  • Focus your life on principles of Scripture

Any thoughts?