Twenty years after God caused the return of the Ark of the
Covenant to the Israelites from the Philistines, the Israelites
hearts had grown cold. Samuel called the house of Israel to return
to the Lord wholeheartedly (1 Samuel 7:3). How can we challenge
ourselves to do the same? Take Massive ActionIf we desire to grow
in a particular subject, why read only a few books on it? Why not
read a hundred books for the year? Samuel urged the Israelites to
consecrate themselves without compromise by taking massive
action:
Return to God wholeheartedly, not half hearted, no
half-measures. Remove our idols completely. If we love God with all
our heart, we will have no other gods in life. Follow God
faithfully by directing our hearts toward Him. Serve Him only. The
outflow of our wholehearted devotion to God is service.
The overall result of taking massive action is giving God the
best! We must realize that a half-hearted commitment, a token
sacrifice, partial and/or delayed obedience are offensive to God
who deserves our all. We Can't but God Can !To come to God with all
our heart is to humbly admit that we cant. When you come to that
place of brokenness, helplessness and hopelessness, you discover
the power and glory of the Lord. This is the key to the
Spirit-filled life. It is not about giving more effort or getting
into more activities. The key to an overflowing life is
acknowledging that WE CAN'T but GOD CAN, therefore we are dependent
in Christ who strengthens us. When we move from the I can't to God
can, we experience the joy and pleasure of living our life
wholeheartedly for God.
From this point of consecration, we will be confronted with
daily choices to follow God faithfully. If we don't choose God,
moment by moment, we may lose our desire to choose God. But if we
choose Him constantly, we strengthen our capacity, with the grace
of God, to continue to choose for Him as a habit in our pilgrimage
through life.
True consecration results to sanctification of our life and
service to God. When we live our life with no half-measures, in the
midst of our vulnerability, God will empower us.
Passion + Purpose = Mission February 08, 2015 Vol. 15, No. 6
WORSHIP Suggested Worship Songs: Sing!, It Is Well With My Soul, I
Am Yours, You Are Glorious WELCOME Purposeful Passion. What job are
you willing to do with passion even if you dont get paid for doing
it? WORD Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Passion is what burns inside you. God wants to create a passion in
us that overwhelms every other drive we have in our being. Purpose
is not something to do, but it is someone to be! God desires to
make us someone with specific purpose that is unique from everyone
else. As children of God we are all saved by grace alone, thru
faith alone in Christ alone, that is something we have in common.
But each one of us has a purpose custom-made to us individually to
become what each can become. The two most important days of your
life is the day you were born and the day you find out why (Mark
Twain). You will never know why you were born unless you were born
again, when you meet the God who made you in the first place.
Mission is any important task or duty that is assigned, allotted,
or self-imposed. It is a purpose, a calling or a vocation
accompanied by strong conviction. Consider our Lord Jesus, He knew
when His mission in His physical life was finished (John 19:28).
The fire that burned to please the Father allowed Him to pay the
ultimate price. Jesus exemplified how passion + purpose will lead
us to our mission. Passion + Purpose=Mission PASSION begins where
God begins in the heart, the seat of who we are. God placed in our
heart the reality of eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Regardless of
your belief system, in the depths of who you are, you know you are
made by Someone for eternity, because God put that in your heart.
Our heart is what God measures us by. People judge by outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:17). It
doesnt matter what you have accomplished in this world, how famous,
good-looking or rich you are. What has our heart, has us (Luke
12:34). Passion begins with the heart, and what matters to our
heart is what will possess us. When our passion for God controls
our heart, it produces the path to our PURPOSE. Being filled with
the Holy Spirit is essential. When you are yielded to the Spirit of
God, you allow God to control you and to create the passion that
burns for God for the purpose of pleasing the Lord (2 Corinthians
5:59). Jesus clearly spelled out the purpose of the body of Christ
to make disciples of all nations. Every follower of Christ is
responsible to reach out to all nations in the power of the Holy
Spirit. Jesus reiterated as His last instruction to all His
disciples before He ascended to heaven to be His witnesses in
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
We start at home, but it shouldnt stop there. We should share what
we know and experience with our Lord Jesus to everyone we come in
contact with. When our Passion and Purpose become a reality then we
will sense our MISSION. Like Paul, sharing the gospel is not
something that you boast about but a sacred trust that you are
compelled by God to do (1 Corinthians 9:1617). Some people misread
2 Timothy 2:2 and take it as their excuse from making disciples as
they claim they dont have the gift of teaching. The focus of this
passage is in being faithful which will compel them to be willing
to tell others what they have learned from Jesus. Truths about
Mission 1. You dont have to have all the answers! You just have to
keep following.
The apostle Paul desires to share the gospel in Asia, but the
Holy Spirit prevented them. So they headed to Bithynia, but again
the Spirit of Jesus prevented them from going there, until Paul had
a vision to go to Macedonia and so they decided to leave for
Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). Paul didnt know why the Holy Spirit
prevented him from going to these places, but he just kept
following. Our goal is not to figure it out, our goal is just to
follow. If your heart is willing, God will get you where He wants
you to be. 2. You can experience real peace.
When you are committed to the mission that God has put in your
heart, you can experience real peace that you never had before,
because God is with you always (Matthew 28:20). After disciple
James was arrested and killed for the gospel, Peter was also
arrested, but the night before his trial, he was sound asleep in
chains. Like Peter, we can also be rested despite of our
circumstances because we know that our God is in control. So, lets
begin with our heart. If we focus on guarding our heart, God will
guard the rest. Where is your heart right now?Discussion Questions:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level
of spiritual maturity of your members) 1. The Great Commission.
What is the Great Commission according to the passage? Give at
least three key observations from the passage Matthew 28:19-20. 2.
Price-less Passion. Why are you willing to do what you are
passionate about even though you dont get paid? 3. Mission Review.
Review your personal mission. How will you align it with Gods Great
Commission?
WORKS Go, Pray, Send Every disciple a witness! Every disciple
disciples! This is non-negotiable to every committed follower of
Christ. How can you be part of world mission for Jesus? You may not
have all the answers now, but pray about it and commit to God where
He is leading you, and just keep following the Holy Spirit. Go
Volunteer as Skypleship mentor, on a short term mission trip, to
reach internationals. Pray Join the Beyond prayer team, Dgroup
missionary adoption Send Provide support to our missionaries and
mission efforts. Inquire from CCF-Beyond Ministry. Weekly Prayer
Points I. Thanksgiving Worship God for who He is, what He has done,
and what He will do in our lives II. Country and the World Upright
and moral governance of Public Servants and a God-centered
Philippines Repentance and Salvation III. Church That CCF Members
would honor and love God and make disciples Elders, Pastors,
Leaders, and Families Ministries and Churches worldwide IV. CCF
Facilities New Worship and Training Center Prayer Mountain V.
Personal Concerns Deeper intimate relationship with God Righteous
living Salvation of family and friends
