Hebrews 10:22-25 (The Message)
22–25 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
Confidence in this day and time is a precious commodity. With economic uncertainty abounding and a vacuum of leadership in our country the re needs to be a clarion call to believers.
Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)
Do Not Be Anxious
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
I am not a financial expert by any stretch of the imagination. I do not know what will happen to our economy. But I do know that in these days the call to connect is still the most important call we can heed.
Much of the problems that we are facing economically are because we did not concentrate on this day. With both debt and investments driving this crisis I want to encourage you to not worry about tomorrow but trust God this day. Look for his daily bread to sustain you. With debt one borrows from tomorrow others save for tomorrow but those treasures that are laid up in earthly storehouses will fade away. Those heavenly investments never corrode or fade or take a down turn. Invest in those things that are eternal. The only thing that you can take to heaven is a friend. Invest in eternity by connecting to people.
Consider the lilies… As news comes whether bad or good, I want you to consider the lilies. What is the consideration? God is in control and God cares. Remember God is in control and God cares. In the middle of the political season when things heat up and candidates fight for control of this government, seek the Kingdom of God and know that God is in control. Be encouraged God is in control.
God is a great designer. All of creation declares the glory of God. From the mountains we see the majesty of God, from the oceans roar we see the endless mercy for he buried our sins in the deepest part. From the stars we glimpse the eternal nature of God and with the platypus we get an idea of God’s humor. In glimpsing into the microscopic world we see God’s attention to detail, and when viewing a field of flowers we see God’s gentle touch.
As a part of God’s creation we need to know that our purpose and our value are found as we are connected in God’s great design. We need to thrive in our connection with God in worship and devotion. We find life as we connect to people. We find meaning when we connect to the mission of God in our community and world.
You were given a piece of a puzzle when you came in this morning. I would like to ask each of you to write your name on the back of the puzzle + one thing you are happy about + one thing you are praying for. Now find the other people in the room that can complete your puzzle. I know this will take a couple of minutes and is out of the norm but look around and put the pieces together. When you have your puzzle piece together hang in your group for just a moment. Find out each others names, and take a moment to pray together. Now if in this group you are a little shy when it comes time to pray you can just say, I pass. Okay? Now as you go to find your seat take a different piece with you. Keep this piece through the week and pray for the person whose name is on the other side.
Now as you return to your seat I want to read the scripture I started with today.
Hebrews 10:22-25 (The Message)
22–25 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
In talking about connections recently I have told about how wonderful it is to connect to God. Much of this connection’s strength is determined by the connections we have with people.
Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)
16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
1 John 4:19-21 (The Message)
19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.
20–21 If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.
Loving people is more than just tolerating them. To move from tolerating people to truly loving them you must value their unique design.
People are gifted differently:
Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to hisb faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
1 Corinthians 12:27-31 (The Message)
27–31 You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. You’re familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his “body”:
apostles
prophets
teachers
miracle workers
healers
helpers
organizers
those who pray in tongues.
But it’s obvious by now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It’s not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called “important” parts.
But now I want to lay out a far better way for you.
People connect with God differently:
The following has been obtained directly from the Participants Guide to “An Ordinary Day With Jesus” by John Ortberg and Ruth Haley Barton (pages 65-87).
Intellectual
You draw closer to God as you learn more about Him.
You have little patience for emotional approaches to faith
You are a thinker
When you face problems or spiritual challenges you go into problem solving mode.
Biblical example: The Apostle Paul
Strengths
Read books that challenge you
Expose yourself to lots of teaching
Find people with whom you can learn.
Cautions
Guard against becoming all head and no heart.
Don’t confuse becoming smart with being spiritually mature.
Ways to Stretch
Devote yourself to cooperate worship and to private adoration and prayer.
Your learning needs to lead to love otherwise it will get dangerous.
1 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV)
… Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
Relational
Spiritual growth comes most naturally when you are involved in significant relationships.
Small groups and other community life experiences are key.
Your life is an open book.
Being alone can drive you crazy.
In key times of growth, God will often speak to you through people.
Biblical Example; The Apostle Peter
Strengths
You lead a relationally rich life.
Use your spiritual gifts to serve others.
Pray with others in community.
Learn in a class with other people or in a small group.
Use your network of contacts to further God’s Kingdom.
Cautions
Guard against superficiality.
You can grow rely on others and become a spiritual chameleon.
Ways to Stretch
Keep some of your experiences with God secret so you don’t get addicted to what other people think.
Study the Word for yourself so you are grounded in God’s Word rather than other’s opinions.
Invite close friends to speak the truth to you so that your relationship is more that just social.
Serving
Characteristics
God’s presence seems more tangible when you’re involved in helping others.
You’re often uncomfortable in a setting where you don’t have a role. If you do have a role you sense God’s presence and delight.
Biblical Example: Dorcas in the Book of Acts
Strengths
Get plugged into a community so you have opportunities for meaningful service to offer God.
Look for glimpses of God’s presence in the people you serve and in the execution of your tasks.
Prepare to serve first by praying so your service is genuinely spiritual service.
Cautions
Be careful not to resent other people who do not serve as much as you do.
Remember that God loves you. Not because you are so faithful to Him, but because you are His child.
Don’t confuse serving with earning God’s love.
Ways to Stretch
Balance your service with small group and community life.
Learn how to receive love even when you are not being productive.
Practice expressing love through when you’re not being productive.
Practice expressing love through emotions as well as actions.
Worship
” I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.””
(Psalm 122:1, NIV)
Characteristics
You have a deep love of corporate praise and a natural inclination toward celebration.
In difficult periods of life, worship is one of the most healing experiences you engage in.
In worship, your heart opens up, and you come alive and enthusiastically participate.
Biblical Example: David
Strengths
Experience great worship on a regular basis.
Use worship CD’s or ipod and make your car a private sanctuary.
Learn about other worship traditions, and incorporate what you learn in your personal worship time.
Cautions
Be careful not to judge those who aren’t as expressive in worship.
Guard against an experience based spirituality that always has you looking for the next spiritual high.
CS Lewis called this the fatal sin of saying ‘encore!’”
Ways to Stretch
Engage in the discipline of study.
Serve God in concrete ways as an extension of your worship.
Remain committed in community even when worship isn’t all you would like it to be.
Activist
You have a single-minded zeal and a very strong sense of justice.
You have a passion to build the church and to work for justice.
Challenges don’t discourage you.
You do everything you can to bring out the best God has placed in other people.
You love a fast-paced, problem filled, complex, strenuous way of life.
Biblical Example: Nehemiah
Prayer and action go hand in hand for the activist.
Create a sense of purpose in your life by immersing yourself in tasks that call out the best you have to offer.
Find a team of people you can invest in and work to accomplish big goals.
Cautions
You may run over people or use them because you are so focused on achieving the goal.
Guard against doing too long without pausing to reflect on what you’re doing.
You can end up not even knowing your own spiritual condition, or emotional state.
Ways to stretch.
Spend time in solitude and silence.
Cultivate a reflective discipline like journaling. (It is an action.)
Develop close spiritual friendships wwith one or two other people.
Invite them to:
regularly ask you questions
speak to you about what God is doing in you not just through you.
These relationships must be focused on you not on the tasks.
Contemplative
Characteristics
You love uninterrupted quiet time.
Reflection comes naturally to you.
You have a large capacity for prayer
If you get busy or spend a lot of time with people, you feel drained and yearn for times of solitude.
Biblical Example: Mary, Martha’s Sister
Strengths
You need regular, protected intense times of solitude and stillness
Faithfully follow the intuitions and leadings that come in your time alone with God.
Act on what you hear from God in the silence.
Cautions
You have a tendency to avoid the demands of the real world because it doesn’t match up to your ideals.
Be careful not to retreat to your inner world when friends family or society disappoint you.
Ways to stretch
Choose a place of active service.
Stay relationally connected, even when those relationships become difficult or challenging.
Connect with those people who have an activist pathway.
Pray for them.
Consider getting involved in some aspect of their ministry activities.
Creation
Characteristics
You respond deeply to God through your experience of nature.
Being outside replenished you.
You’re highly aware of your physical senses, and often art or symbols or ritual will help you grow.
Biblical Example: Jesus
Strengths
Spend time outside.
Find a location for getaways.
Make beauty a part of your spiritual life.
Cautions
You may be tempted to use beauty or nature to escape.
You will find that people are sometimes disappointing.
Guard against the temptation to avoid church fellowship because you think to yourself, “I can worship God in nature, on my own.”
Ways to Stretch
Stay involved in a worshipping community.
Be willing to help out in ‘less-than-beautiful’ settings.
Take scripture with you into nature, and meditate on God’s Word as you enjoy His creation.
People have different passions:
God calls people to diverse causes. These passions are the vehicle for God to touch this earth.
To connect with people in a meaningful way one must value to unique make-up of each person. Understanding one’s uniqueness is key to truly connect with them.
By loving an understanding the individual piece we can get a better glimpse of the grand design of God.
b Or in agreement with the
New Hope 