We began a new series on September 10. As several of us prayed and listened for what themes God wanted us to focus on in worship, it became clear that focus on practical, day to day expressions of what it means to follow Jesus would be important. God intends for us to live differently, but survey after survey points out what’s true: people who claim to follow Jesus don’t look any different than those who don’t. One of the things I wrestle with is the tension between what is our part in living differently, and what is God’s part. In this introduction message, I talked some about that from a profound passage in Philippians 2.
I also showed a video by Rob Bell, from Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can see a little clip of it (or buy it) from this link. I love the way he communicates, and love all of these videos he does, but this is the best, in my opinion. The short summary goes like this: In Jesus’ day, only the best of the best of the best got to be disciples of a rabbi. The cost of being a disciple was huge, and the desire was not just to know what the rabbi knew, but to do what the rabbi did. Then Jesus comes along and chooses unschooled fisherman, the ones who didn’t make the cut, the ones who obviously weren’t the best of the best. Jesus looks at all of us and says, “I think you’ve got what it takes! I think you can do what I do.”
From that confidence that Jesus trusts us, we have the basis for living differently. We do have effort to make; yet it is God’s amazing power working through us that makes true change. Here’s what I shared…
Hey, I’m seeing a Saturday night YAF event – two or three short films with discussion and potluck dessert. Coming soon to a Meeting in San Francisco. Thanks for the link.
This reminds me of Lewis in Screwtape.
“One must face the fact that all the talk about His love for men, and His service being perfect freedom, is not (as one would gladly believe) mere propaganda, but an appalling truth. He really does want to fill the universe with a lot of loathsome little replicas of Himself — creatures whose life, on its miniature scale, will be qualitatively like his own, not because He has absorbed them but because their wills freely conform to his. … He cannot “tempt†to virtue as we do to vice. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is there He is pleased even with their stumbles”
Good thoughts Greg
And lo and behold, it’s happening this Saturday night: thanks again for the link and recommendation.
Awesome! I hope it goes really well!