Abundant Life's Great Enemy

The greatest enemy of the abundant life is the superficial life.

God is able to make all things new, including you.  This theme for our re:NEW series is a refreshing, yet challenging topic.  The great truth that “He who sits on the throne” is making all things new is both a comforting and concerning thought.  It comforts because we have hope.  It concerns us because some things have not changed.

Real and lasting change does not always come easy.  Actually it takes some real authenticity and vulnerability.  That is why the greatest enemy of the abundant life is the superficial life.  Those who pretend to be what they are not yet will never become it. 

In James 5:13-20 we learn the principle to release to resist.  The first step in resisting temptation is release.

1.  Release yourself by admitting your situation.
Honesty about suffering, praise, sickness, and sin is the first step in healing.

2.  Release your fear by hiding nothing.
We have nothing to hide when nothing is hidden.  Releasing this fear will be the scariest thing you have ever done.  Just like Adam and Eve, we all know the shame of our spiritual nakedness.  Releasing this fear means we know others know.

3.  Release your control in honest and open communication.
Real community is necessary for real change.  Real community requires real communication.  We must learn to be honest, open, compassionate, accountable, and responsible with and for one another. 
As long as you think you have a sin under control you are still under its control.
Put the darkness in the lie…and the darkness will flee.

4.  Release the results through prayer.
Trust God to do what he wills and not what you will.  This is toughest part of healing and change.  Some things God does not heal as you want nor changes as you planned.  This passage speaks of being saved and raised up.  These words are the same for salvation and resurrection.  God’s change often does not come in the time frame nor the package we prefer.

If you hide the part in you that is dying, you hide the part in you that is living.
You have nothing to hide in Christ, but much to find.  Press into the Body of Christ and learn to live in hope with other followers of Jesus.

The Rest of the Story

“And God rested from all his work.”  Why?  Was God tired?  Did “who does not sleep nor slumber” need a nap?  No.

God completed his work by creating rest.
God created rest, not because he needed it, but because His creation does.  The Laws of God are for the good of the created.  In the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20, God requires us to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord.  He commands that we take a day of rest from work and devote it to Him.  In Mark 2, Jesus tells us that man is not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath is made for man.

God did not create us to rest.  He created us to work.  Yet, he created in us the need to rest.  Each of us needs to time to rest and focus.  And that focus must be on Him, not us.  The Sabbath is holy unto the Lord, not unto ourselves. 

God created and commanded you to live in a rhythm of work and rest.
When you defy that rhythm both work and rest become warped.
When you get out of a healthy, God-honoring rhythm of work and rest, all types of problems arise.  It is in these seasons that we typically begin to “cheat.”  We “cheat” work for family and then we “cheat” family for work.  We “cheat” God for recreation and entertainment because we “cheated” rest for work the last month.  The lack of rhythm throws everything off.

Rest is a lordship issue; not a laziness issue.
However, when we do not honor the Lord in rest, it eventually causes a laziness issue.
Marc Driscoll worded this danger reality well.  Without a break you'll break. The question isn't whether you'll stop but whether you'll stop joyfully or painfully.

You must choose to joyfully pause and rest in your daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythm.  God created such occasions from the example of Christ with early morning prayers, to the Sabbath day, to the rest of a field, to celebrations and festivals…God created rhythms for renewal, rest, and rejuvenation.

If you do not honor the Lord with this rhythm, you will eventually dishonor him.  You will find yourself in a place of needing to abandon priorities and bail on commitments, not because you have too much to do, but because you did not honor those priorities and commitments before you had more to do.  Rhythm matters.

When you find yourself out of rhythm, do what great drummers do. Stop, but don’t quit.  Stop, listen, find the rhythm, find your place in the song, and jump back in.  The more responsibility you have the more important this principle is.  Men, when you live out of rhythm, your family does too.  Pastors, when you get out of rhythm, you eventually fall, and so do many behind you.  Stop, don’t quit.

The Motivation of Multiplication

In Genesis 1 God gave Adam specific instructions about life in the Garden of Eden.  I think it can be summed in these three concepts:  Multiplication  (more people), Dominion (more responsibility), and Cultivation (more production).

These three layers of work fill our lives.  We become very busy, but also very blessed in these works.  Multiplication is the work at the family level.  Children are always a blessing from the Lord, but they are also much work.  Stewardship and ownership of things in this world is a blessing but it is also much work.  Productivity and contribution into bettering the world is a blessing but it is also much work.

Where do we get the motivation to see all our work at all levels as blessing and not burden?  The Motivation of Multiplication

Multiplication is what causes the motivation to do the work of dominion and cultivation. 

The physical reality of this is seen in family life.  As I write this, I am more deeply motivated to pray for and encourage those who struggle with infertility.  We all know someone who has struggled for years with the real and personal pain of not being able to multiply.  The desire for “more people” is natural.

The truth is multiplication causes motivation.  I believe most men start maturing and “growing up” when they have kids.  Life changes, instantly.  They see work and responsibility and marriage and home differently than they ever have before.  Why?  They are motivated by the lives they have responsibilities of dominion and cultivation towards.

The same is true spiritually.  Doing the work of church will lose all motivation if it is not the work of Christ.  Having responsibilities of dominion (stewardship) and cultivation (production) while not being a part of “new birth” is draining and exhausting.  Why?  The purpose is lost.

Seeing a person confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will never grow dull.  It motivates me to do more work. I am more committed to be more responsible and more productive in my work when I watch one life step out of darkness into the marvelous light.

Are you doing the work of multiplication?  Are you being a part of the celebration of multiplication with your Church?  If not, then you are facing a loss of motivation that no one else can change.  Changing ministries, changing churches, changing groups, etc.  will not solve this spiritual problem.  Only obedience in multiplication will.

Who needs to hear the hope, grace, and life found in Jesus Christ from you this week?  Pray that God would send workers into the harvest fields…and then say (as Isaiah did, “here I am, Lord, send me.”

A side thought:

Many churches have gone to special times of celebration for baptism.  I know at our church with 3 services and 2 campuses, this is the only way we can all pull together to celebrate multiplication together.   So that is the positive side.  The negative side, is that many church members do not participate in these celebrations.  Honestly, you will love motivation if you consistently miss that celebration.

Last night we had an amazing FC United service.  Everyone there left motivated to be about the work of the Gospel.  I realize some miss such times because of other commitments, but many miss because they did not see the value in it.  This is the value.  Celebration of confession (multiplication) causes motivation.

If you want to find value in teaching in the Depot or greeting at the door or serving the homeless in a ministry, then you need to be with your church family for the celebrations of salvations.  You need it deep in your soul.

FC is not the only church doing these “special services.”  It is a growing trend.  As leaders, we need to make sure we are not missing something our people need, but also church members, make sure you are not missing something you need.  It is not simply an event at church…it is THE event that helps us all remember why we do what we do.

Run Harder...with me

Today I conquered a recent obstacle...the eight mile run. I have for some reason struggled to get back to this distance. Today I set out to the levee to run. I stopped by the church and saw my friend Chris Ladd. He is a strong runner and said he wanted to run with me. 

So we took off. I finished eight miles strong. The last mile especially. 

You see Chris has been an elite distance runner. He pushed me in three ways:  Encouraging words, Pace, and Technique. 

All 3 helped make the difference. In life, in faith, and in work we all need these things. 

I actually have struggled to go the distance because I am stubborn about pace. I want to maintain my 5 mile pace. Today I was off of that by around 30 seconds but I made it. Listen to the wisdom of others on pace. Some of you need to speed up; others slow down. 

The technique on how to finish helped. I was able to push through because I pushed different.

The encouragement made all the difference in the world though. "You can." "Push through it." "Great pace" "Keep it up" "Almost there" etc.

Find people in your life that speak these things and be this person in the lives of others. Honestly I feel as a pastor I have recently been speaking pace and technique well but without enough encouragement. Today's long run helped me remember the importance of the words that change nothing yet change everything. That is what encouragement is. 

I commit myself to encourage more. What about you?  Who needs to hear words that change nothing yet everything?

Thanks for the life lesson Chris, you will be missed but supported. 

Doing Work

Doing work is something we do.  Some of us do it out of passion and purpose and others of us out of obligation and duty.  Meaning some find joy in it, while others find misery from it.

What does the Bible have to say about work?  Why do we have to do it?  What is its purpose?  Is it a good thing in Creation or a result of the fall of Creation?

That is what we will be examining in the next 4 weeks in #Doing Work at Fellowship.  We will discuss God's purposes, his plans, his creation, and the discipline of rest.  Work will address your job you get paid for and the many more you do not.  We all have life duties and responsibilities (or work, if you would) we must do.

I want ask you a couple of questions for brain fuel between now and Sunday.  If someone were to look back at your social media accounts over the past year, what would they say is your opinion of work?

Do you begrudge the Monday Blues?
Do you sing the Hump Day song?
Do you yell TGIF weekly?
Do you complain and bemoan work?

We live in a culture with an increasing negativity towards work and a growing reward system for not doing it.  The younger generation believes their work is worth 10 fold what they have accomplished and the older generation is tired of carrying the weight.

More and more work is a negative necessity.  I believe God desires to redeem work.  God has good for you in His plans.  There is grace and purpose and passion and...even fun.

Are you willing to allow God to give you His view of what you do?
That change of view might change your whole life.

See you Sunday.