How to Submit To God's Authority(Manuscript/Outline)

I. ME

a. Tonight our topic is taken from the end of Matthew 10, it talks about what a person has to do if they want to be a disciple of Jesus. Part of the reason why I wanted to tackle this topic is because I was finding myself struggling to submit to the authority of God.

b. In studying this topic a passage that I came across was:

Luke 9:23-25

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?[1]
c. I found this to be a tough passage because it seems that Jesus is saying that to be his disciple, his follower, I have to give up my desires? I have to do what he wants me to do? What’s this with the cross? A symbol of pain and death? I have to take one up to follow Jesus? I don’t think I want to sign up for that.

d. Here are the lyrics to a song I came across that talks a little more about submission

e. “Jesus, I my cross have taken”

1. Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my All shalt be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I've sought or hoped or known;
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

2. Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends may shun me;
Show Thy face, and all is bright.

3. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure!
Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure;
With Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee Abba, Father!
I have stayed my heart on Thee.
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather,
All must work for good to me.

4. Man may trouble and distress me,
'Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, 'tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, 'twere not in joy to charm me
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

e. None of the stuff in that song seems like something anyone would want to volunteer for. I was thinking, man I don’t want to be destitute or despised. Come disaster, scorn and pain??? I don’t want that in my life.

f. Going back to that passage in Luke it says that if you want to keep your life safe, if you want to save it, that you must lose it. And that if you give up your life for Jesus that you will save your life.

g. That doesn’t seem to make any sense does it? I mean that’s a lot of trust Jesus is asking me to have in Him. Jesus is asking me to believe in Him and the stuff that He says. When it comes down to it I just don’t think that I can. I don’t think I can give up control of some areas of my life.



II. WE

a. I don’t think that I’m alone in feeling like I can’t trust God. We all have something that we just aren’t sure we can trust God with.

b. A recent reminder of something a lot of us have trouble trusting God with, myself included is relationships. Yesterday was Valentine’s day. It’s a day that the single become very aware that they aren’t in a relationship with someone else. Some of us may be tempted to not wait on the Lord to provide a spouse for us. Instead of looking for the things that God wants us to have in a spouse we settle for what we can get. We settle for something that is good enough for now. Some of us would rather not have the complexities of relationship and just want to get off. So we look at porn and masturbate.

c. Something else we don’t trust God with is our time. How many of us get caught up in the activities of our life and become so focused on accomplishing tasks that we put spending time with God off to the side? Instead of seeking God first and spending time with Him we say, I need to get x, y, and z done. Some of us become so caught up in activity trying to keep our lives going that we neglect sleep and our health.

d. Some of us, myself included have trouble trusting God with finances. We may be in majors or jobs that we hate. But we stick with it because in the end we can get a good job that will make sure we have enough money to do what we want.

e. When it comes down to it we just don’t trust God. Some of us may say that we do believe in Jesus and that we trust Him. But our belief ends in our mouth. The way we live our lives doesn’t reflect the trust and belief that we say we have in Jesus.



III. GOD

a. Well let’s see what God has to say about all this, if we go back to the passage in Luke it says:

Luke 9:25-26

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. [2]



b. What does all of this mean? It’s hard for us to imagine how any of this relates to us. The Son of Man coming in glory? What is all of that

c. A passage that God showed me that illustrates what is being talked about is:

d. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16(NLT)

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?[3]



e. Now I know what you’re thinking this doesn’t make any sense, but bear with me for sec and let me give you some background into this.

f. The image painted in this passage is one of a triumphant Roman general returning home after a conquest. It’s like in Gladiator where Joaquin Phoenix is riding at the head of huge parade.

g. You have this general that is revered like a god leading a train of captives, the triumph of his victory, the spoils of war.

h. If you’re a slave, one of the conquered people that refuse to accept the authority of the Roman government then seeing this Roman triumph is depressing. It’s a reminder that you’ve been conquered and that you’re not in control. It might even scare you because you’ll be reminded that you can’t escape or overthrow the government because here are a bunch more people that have been subdued being paraded down the street.

i. If however, you are one of the Roman citizens, one of the people that accepts and submits to the authority of the Roman government then seeing this parade is a joyful thing. You don’t have anything to be afraid of. You’re government is kicking butt and taking names. You feel safe and secure knowing that the government you serve and are a part of is conquering everyone.

j. Jesus is the conqueror. He is the victorious general, the God and Master of all things that has authority over all creation.

k. Here is where this ties into the passage in Luke. Whether or not we submit to the authority of God, He is still in control.



IV. YOU

a. That revelation that God is in control whether or not we submit to Him had never occurred to me before. But thinking about it that way changed everything for me.

b. If God is in control then if I resist and rebel against Him I’m just making life harder for myself. I’m making life miserable for myself

c. Teacher and student relationship/Driving directions

d. James 4:1-4

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers!* Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.[4]


e. Here’s the thing. We don’t have to be enemies of God. God offers to make us His children.

Galatians 4:5-7

5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.* 6 And because we* are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”* 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.* And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.[5]



f. God is calling you; He wants you to submit to His love. He is pursuing you. Last semester that’s something we talked about. Jesus came and gave up His life for you.

g. Colossians 1:21-23

You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. [6]



V. WE

a. We’ve come around full circle now. We all have something that we don’t want to give control of because we don’t trust Him.

b. But the truth is that whether or not we recognize God’s authority, He is in control.

c. By not submitting to God’s authority we make life miserable for ourselves. And are enemies of God.

d. The grace of God is that we don’t have to be enemies of God. God offers to make us His children. To share in His glory.

e. James 1:22

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.[7]
f. We’ve heard a lot of things tonight but none of it will matter if all we do is stop at listening. None of this matters unless we change the way we live.

g. The practical question remains, “how do we submit to God’s authority? How do we learn to trust Him with control of our lives? How do we live lives that show we believe in Him?”

h. James 4:8-10

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.[8]

i. Testimony

My life can be can be characterized as one long battle with God. My whole life I’ve struggled with submitting to God’s authority. A troubling verse for me is Jeremiah 1:5-7

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born I set you apart

and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken![9]

My parents met doing ministry together planting churches. And when they got married they spent a long time thinking about what they would name me. My name Timothy Kirk, means “the one who honors God” and “one who dwells in the house of the Lord.” For a long time I really resented what I had been named. I had no choice in picking my name, but they were constant reminders of God’s authority over me.

Growing up as a kid I was in and around ministry all the time. Whenever the church doors were open I was there. I got drug along to all the different ministries my parents were participating in. I didn’t have a choice but to go with them and help them with whatever they were doing.

Being in church all the time I was exposed to this idea of surrendering control of my life to Jesus. And while I knew what that meant and maybe believed that I was a sinner and that Jesus had died for me, I didn’t want to make a public declaration of my faith. There were a few times I had prayed some prayer and asked God to forgive me, but it wasn’t until September of 1993 that I felt God calling me out. I was sitting in a pew during the invitation to respond and they were playing “I Surrender All.” The weeks before that they had played that song again and again, so by this time I had the words memorized. My heart was beating so hard that my chest hurt. I knew that God was calling me to surrender my life to Him. I was fighting this war inside of me where part of me wanted to go up but the other part didn’t. But I’d put it off for weeks and this time it was unbearable. So that Sunday I made a public profession of faith, surrendering my life to Jesus.

Later that year I was at Royal Ambassadors Camp, like Christian Boy Scouts. The last morning of camp they extended a call to people who felt God was calling them to full time ministry. Again I felt that boiling up of emotion in me. I knew that God was calling me to serve Him in ministry as more than a layperson in the church. I knew He was calling me to serve differently than my parents. And again I didn’t want to go up. I had grown up around lots of vocational ministers and I didn’t want to live having to trust God to provide for my needs. But I knew God was calling me, so near the end I finally stood up and said yeah God is calling me.

The next 15 years from age 9-24, I spent my life trying to come to terms with God and His call on my life. I had said I surrendered control of my life to God but I didn’t really want to give up on what I wanted. I went through a series of life paths where I tried to find something that would be “Christian ministry” but pay tons of money. I thought about being a Historian or Archaeologist specializing in the Old Testament so I could be like Indiana Jones. See the world, have fun and make lots of money. Because I knew that God was calling me to serve in a church and I didn’t want to get stuck or tied down. Then I thought about becoming a psychologist and doing family counseling. I could honor God’s call on my life by making lots of money doing Christian Counseling. I thought about doing anything and everything except accepting and responding to God’s call on my life. I was running away.

In 2003 everything came to a head my freshman year at the UofA. I was running out of time to figure out how I would be obedient to God’s call on my life. I wasn’t really in church anymore. I said I was a Christian but God was at the end of my list of priorities. All of my friends were really intelligent and headed to and some coming from very affluent lives. I was concerned about getting serious with a non Christian girl accustomed to an affluent lifestyle. So I was trying to figure out how I could have job security, great benefits, retire and have pension, and fulfill God’s call on my life. So I enlisted into the Army my freshman year. I thought that decision would take care of all my problems. I could do the reservist thing as a psychologist or Chaplain and serve God part time. Then the rest of the month do what I wanted to do with my life.

I went to basic training and I had some new perspective on life. I mean, prior to leaving I was having trouble letting go of things in my life cause I was a control freak. Now I was finding myself in a place where I couldn’t decide where, what, or when I could eat, sleep, or wear. Everything in my life was dictated by someone else. After I came back I was aware of what God was saying to me, but none of it really sank in until the summer of 2005.

I was in summer school and I got an email saying that I was going to be deployed. My orders didn’t say where or for how long or even who with. And I had three days to report in or go to jail. I was in crisis mode. Logistical things aside, I knew that this deployment to the desert was about more than just my life in the Army. I knew God was saying to me, “I know you have a hard time trusting me, but I will grow your faith.”

I desperately wanted to talk to someone about this. I tried calling anyone and everyone in my address book. I couldn’t get a hold of any of my family or Christian friends. The friends that I could reach who weren’t Christians couldn’t relate to me. In the midst of me going insane, the only person that got back to me was my friend Aileen. She told me to calm down and to meet her at the Union. So I met up with her and told her about my situation. And after all that she simply handed me this card with a verse on it.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.a[10]

After that she handed me another card with this on it:

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.[11] Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.b I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” [12]
So as I prepared to leave everything, to just pick up go. I left with that encouragement in mind. Over the course of my deployment I committed to studying and knowing God’s Word. I committed to trusting Him. I committed to seeking after Him first.

Obviously, I made it through the deployment alive. But there definitely many situations I faced that year that I still don’t know how I survived. All I know is that I sought after the Lord, and He comforted me giving me peace of mind. I prayed for my needs and the safety of the people I went on mission with. God provided for my needs. And out of two battalions my company was the only one to come back from the deployment without losing a single soldier. Every mission I went on no one died or sustained any serious injury. God showed me that He was real. When I prayed I wasn’t just speaking to the air. I was praying to the Lord of All Creation.

Tonight some of you may be where I was in 1993, when I was having trouble surrendering control of my life to God. Some of you might have already made the decision to surrender your life to Jesus, but you’re having trouble living a life that reflects that decision. You’re finding yourself running away from God instead of toward Him.

We’re going to have a time of response, and as this next song plays I want to ask you to think through some of these questions.

What fears and doubts do you have about God?

What areas of your life are you finding hard to hand over to God?

What is keeping you from accepting God’s invitation to join His family?

How long will you continue to run from God?



As this song plays think through some of these questions. Be honest with yourself. If you need talk to God about it pray to Him now. If you need help getting started grab someone here to pray with you. I’m up here, Julie, Alex and any of the small group leaders would love to pray with you. But please don’t wait. Don’t be like me and waste the next 15 years of your life. If I’ve learned anything from all my experiences it’s that the only way to live is one day at time. To make the most of today because that might be all I have. The only way to learn to submit to the authority of God is to seek after Him everyday and allow Him to reveal Himself to you. Will you give Him that chance?




[1] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), Lk 9:23–25.


[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Lk 9:25–26.


[3] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), 2 Co 2:14–16.


* Greek You adulteresses!


[4] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), Jas 4:1–4.


* Greek sons; also in 4:6.


* Greek you.


* Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”


* Greek son; also in 4:7b.


[5] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), Ga 4:5–7.


[6] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), Col 1:21–23.


[7] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), Jas 1:22.


[8] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), Jas 4:8–10.


[9] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2nd ed. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), Je 1:5–8.


a Or will direct your paths


[10] The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Pr 3:5–6.


[11] The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Je 29:11.


b Or will restore your fortunes


[12] The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Je 29:12–14.

Speaking about Submission to God's Authority

Tonight I'm supposed to be speaking at Christian Challenge about how being a disciple means that you must be submitted to the authority of God.  I could really use some prayer.  I really don't think that I'm ready for this.  I asked for the topic because it was something that I knew I was personally been struggling with.  Even in my study and preparation I am still finding difficulty in submitting to God's authority in every area of my life.  So please pray that I would be prepared in myself to have integrity to even talk about the subject.  Also that I would decrease and the Lord would increase that what He intends to say will come out of what happens tonight.  Also please pray for the salvation of some of the students that have been coming to our ministry.  Please pray that they would not delay and put off the decision to submit their lives to Jesus.  

Mirror(abridged version)

"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:18

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

Well if you're a Christian the "Fairest" is Jesus.(Fairest Lord Jesus)  I know that most people, including Christians don't think that right off the bat, however an interesting thought occurred to me this morning. But let me give you a little background set up first.

Set up

There's this woman I know who at first was not someone I took an immediate liking to.  It's not that this person isn't likable.  She has lots of things going for her.  A classic and elegant beauty with the poise of Miss America.  Very intelligent and talented.  Relates well to both genders. You couldn't imagine a more perfect woman on paper. Throw in cooking and that's a deal you can't walk away from. Nevertheless, all these things didn't win me over. I really just thought this girl was a spoiled, obnoxious, loud, albeit very gifted, brat. Harsh? I might concede that, but that's what I thought from first impression and brief encounters.

It wasn't till I actually started hanging around her a little more recently that I noticed a change in her. (So I'm guilty of judging a book by its cover) When I began working with her, my attitude toward her completely changed. What I began to see in her was a passion and desire for the glory of God.  Instead of seeing all the external things that I thought she was made up of, I saw "rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38) It's when I began to see a heart burdened for the transformation of lives and the desire to know Jesus more intimately that my view of bratty little girl changed to beautiful woman. (Do they see Jesus in me?)

The Point

So here's the point.  As followers of Christ, we are supposed to become more and more like Christ as we obediently walk in relation with Jesus.  Life transformation occurs as a result of our teacher the Holy Spirit working in us. (Acts 14:16;26)  Our transformed lives should be reflections of Christ Himself, so that our lives direct others to Jesus. (Philippians 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 2 Corinthians 3)

The way to become mirrors that reflect Jesus is to make Jesus the focus of our gaze.  Think about it.  What you see in a mirror is whatever the mirror is pointed at.  In our lives, if our focus is on money, looks, or talent then that's what our lives reflect.  But why is that bad?  Are those things inherently evil? No, they aren't.  However, when our focus are on those things we are making a decision.  In most cases when our focus are on these external things it's because we are seeking to please ourselves.  Our goal ultimately is temporary self-fulfillment in perishable things.  That kind of sucks.  Wealth can be easily lost, beauty fades away, and the body decays.

"Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God.  You will always harvest what you plant.  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.  But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit."
Galatians 6:7-8


The only lasting fulfillment in life comes from making our focus Jesus Christ.  Then all those side items will fall into place.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33


So you want to be the Fairest in the Land?  Focus your gaze on the Fairest of All and what others will see is Jesus in you.

The Cap

The twist in all of this is that as we focus our gaze on Christ and begin to more clearly reflect His beauty, we also become more aware of other people who reflect Jesus.  That's how a person who on the outside is perceived as the ideal woman can be ignored.  Because really in the end all those external things will fade and a relationship built on tremulous foundations is bound for failure.  If however, you begin building on the strong foundation of Jesus Christ, the Rock, the relationship will be built strong.  Instead of seeking, "all these things," seek first the kingdom.  

So when you meet a person like the one described above...the ideal mate, all those other things are icing on the cake.  When you meet a person who turns your attention toward the glory and grace of the Lord, hey that one's a keeper!

Why who and not where

Saturday, after worship with Epic Church, someone asked me what I was up to and what my plan was.  He asked me where I saw myself in the future and where I wanted to be in 5 years.  After botching my answer and in a round about way dodging the question I started to really think about what I said in response.  I said something to the effect that, "Well, hopefully in 5 years I hope to be more dependent and confident in God's provision.  I hope that I can learn to be faithful and patient in learning what God wants me to so that I stop running away from God's call for my life because I distrust God's ability to provide for my needs." 

As I drove away(in my Kia Sorento) and begun mulling over that conversation I recognized that the reason why my answer seemed so hollow was because I was answering the wrong question.  My response to the question didn't answer where I wanted to be in 5 years so much as it answered who I wanted to be. 

Somewhere in my reasoning I was telling myself, "I'm not so much concerned with where I will be as who I will be."  Logically the next question I had to answer was why?  Why am I more concerned with who I want to be and not as worried about where I will be?  The short answer is, I've tried making long term plans for my future and failed.  Either I've missed the mark I originally set out for due to unforseen life experiences.  Or I've made my material goal at the expense of relationships and character integrity.  I lose focus of what is truly important in life.  In my attempt to gain more for myself, I really end up losing more.  In addition, I've seen a number of young friends with long term goals die before they could accomplish them. Many of them had grand desires for their future and continued to live life with a distant future in mind.  Those friends, as well as most other people myself included, live life the way we want to now because we think that we have time later to become the people we want to be. The truth is we don't:

"Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit."  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that."  But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.  therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin." 
 James 4:13-17

What I've found is that when my focus is on "where I will go,"  it is very easy to ignore God or rationalize decisions and behaviors for the sake of achieving my goals. I get so focused on achievement that everything else in life takes second place to accomplishing my goals.  The problem is that as a person who is identified with Christ and proclaims to be a follower of Christ, I can't live life that way because I surrendered my entire life to Jesus.

"If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the Earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  when Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory."
Colossians 3:1-4

I'm not free to dictate where I will go, because Jesus, my Lord and Master has control of where I will go.  More importantly, Jesus dictates who I must be.  What I've found in seeking out the will of God through scripture is that focusing on who I am in Christ determines where I will go.  Moreover, whom I serve and who I'm with determines where I go and what I do.  Knowing that the I AM is with me gives me confidence to go and be who I was created to be. (Ephesians 2:10)

So how does all this play out in my approach to living life? Am I saying that you shouldn't set goals for yourself?  No!  In fact I set daily, weekly and monthly goals for myself.  However, each goal I set is less on where I want to be(self dictated) and more on who I need to be(Christ determined).  Because where I'm going has already been determined and instead of living life like this temporal and terrestrial existence is all I have to look forward to, I live life and set goals in view of eternity with Jesus.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21


The true and greatest treasure of this life is found in relationship with Christ.  All I hope is that my life reflects that desire, so that in all my pursuits Jesus Christ is shown to be my greatest desire.

Philippians 3:10-14
Matthew 6:33-34

The Lord speaks...

Tonight as I was getting in my car to leave I was getting a little stressed.  I was concerned with a relationship i have with someone and whether it was my place to speak up and step in to address some issues I witnessed.  I was a little scared, uncertain and confused.  In fact as I shut my car door I said, "Oh Lord, I'm scared and i dont know what to do!  Tell me what to do!"

As I started my car up my car radio came on and the audio bible i have said, "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, 'Don't be afraid!' 'Speak out!' 'Don't be silent!'  For I am with you, no one will attack and harm you for many people in this city belong to me."(Acts 18:9-10)

Now, since hearing that I've had the chance to read the passage in context and I know it doesnt necessarily apply/speak into my situation.  However, hearing that right after I asked was kind of cool.  It reminded me of Jeremiah 33:3 which says:

"Call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Another verse I was reminded of was James 1:5:

"If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it."

Those verses and the audio bible saying what it did right at that time remind me that I am in relationship with  the God of the universe.  The God I serve isn't some distant deity far removed from my life.  He works in my life and speaks to me.  My life is changed as a result of spending time knowing Him through His Word. 

What is your scent?

There's a student at Christian Challenge that I can always detect before she enters a room and after she leaves. She has this scent, a pleasant and fragrant aroma, that announces her presence. This morning after smelling her visit to Christian Challenge, I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 2:14-17:

"But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?  You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us."

In view of this passage I couldn't help but ponder how I smell.  Am I a scent of life or death?  Do I even have a smell?  Are people able to smell the outworking power of the Holy Spirit in my life?  I sometimes forget the truth of verse 14 is this, "I was once a slave and captive to sin.  Now I am a captive of Christ.  My life is not my own because it belongs to Jesus.  Moreover, the purpose of my life is to bring glory to Jesus!."

The image that Paul is using in this passage is one of a great Roman general entering a city after returning home from a conquest.  It's a lot like that scene in "Gladiator" when Commodus (the bad guy) comes back to Rome after murdering Marcus Aurelius, his father. The whole city is in celebration and there is a gigantic procession with Commodus at the head of all the slaves/captives and other spoils of the wars in Gaul trailing behind.  The purpose was to magnify Commodus the new emperor.

In the same way Jesus Christ is the great general and returning emperor.  He conquered sin and death freeing the people who used to be under that heavy yoke.  Now Jesus, is at the head of a procession of all the saints, Jesus is the one who is magnified.  All who are saved are to proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ.  

Scent of Life or Death

In the passage Paul says that the captives are like the scent of death to the perishing and the scent of life to those being saved.  Think of it this way.  If you lived back in Ancient Rome and you weren't a Roman citizen but a subjugated enemy of Rome.  If you were to see a bunch of captives from another conquest being paraded around you'd be afraid.  You would think, "This sucks!  We're never going to be free from the power of Rome.  Look!  Here's more people that have been brought under the authority of Rome."  You would feel defeated and conquered.  On the other hand, if you were a citizen of Rome, if you were to see this same procession, you would feel pretty confident in your ruler and His power.  You would feel safe and secure, you'd probably also have reason to celebrate.  After all, the empire you belong to top dog, ain't no one gonna take ya down.  

Now take that image and transfer it over to spiritual life.  Those who are still enemies with God, the ones that have rejected God's gift of grace and do not recognize the authority of God over their lives are the subjugated enemies of Rome.  See the problem with our world today is that people have such short vision.  We see the things right in front of us and can't see the things behind the immediate.  The truth is that in the end Christ wins and whether you accept His authority or not doesn't matter, because He is ruler of all.  So when captives of Christ are put on display proclaiming the glory of Jesus, it's a terrifying sight, a reminder to all the enemies of God that, "Man! We are defeated and we won't ever escape the authority and power of Jesus."  

However, to all friends of God, all the ones who have accepted God's gift of grace and have now become adopted sons and daughters of the King, the captives of Christ become a reminder of abundant life found in Christ Jesus.  

Closing

So the question is, "Are you a fragrant reminder of abundant life found in Jesus Christ? Do you live your life in a way that shows you recognize the authority of Jesus over all creation foreshadowing His imminent return?"  I know I'm challenged by that passage and image.  And all it took was a little whiff of some Bath and Body Works body spray!  At least I'm pretty sure that's what she wears :)

Running for Completion

I recently started running again.  I've been using Vibrams Five Finger shoes and they take a little getting used to.  I've been taking it easy not really concerning myself with my pace or time, just running to run.  A by product of running for completion rather than to keep a pace or beat a time is that I actually like running.  I know it's crazy!  No one likes running!  But running for completion is so different from running to beat a time.  I think about my breathing differently and don't over think the mechanics of running!  I can just run and have fun doing it!  

As I was running this morning I couldn't help but notice the parallels between running for completion and the Christian life.  Moreover, I recognized how I had wrongly taken scripture out of its appropriate context and based the way I've been running the race of faith.  What is truly sad is that my arrogance and irresponsibility in rightly dividing the Word of Truth hasn't just affected me.  It's affected every relationship I've ever had and I know that in some cases have hurt people because of my laziness.  

I allowed my American mentality of more and bigger is better combined with the free market idea of competition and applied it wrongly to 1 Corinthians 9:24.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize."

I took that little bit of scripture and formed an unhealthy paradigm for my life.   I have been running the race of faith like an Olympic race where only one person wins.  I treated Christian life like a competition where I looked back to see how many people I'd surpassed and making sure no one was around to overtake me.  I looked forward in search of the next person I could overtake and step over to be first.  That was mistake number 1 because I forgot that I can't be first.  

Colossians 3:15-16

"He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.  He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."

Running the race of faith like a competition, I became enamored with beating other people.  Being the best by doing more and doing better than everyone else.  The prize and goal for me was to beat everyone.  The problem with that is I was racing for the wrong prize.  The problem with trying to pass everyone is that eventually you end up alone.  As this reflection dawned on me I began questioning.  What is the prize?  Is it heaven?  What is the prize in heaven?  What is the goal?  Is it a mansion in a place free from sorrow and pain?  

Philippians 3:10-14

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The problem with my answer to a lot of those questions was that I was still operating under the mentality of competition and "what can I get for me."  I viewed Christ and knowing Him as a means to an end.  Isn't that the kind of way most people approach Christian life?  I follow Jesus because I want to go to heaven and have all this stuff.  But I think that type of mentality misses the point of the Christian life.  A passage that really helps answer the question of what is the prize and reshaped my thinking is

Revelation 4:

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”  At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.  And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.  Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.  From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.  Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.  In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.  The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.  Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:  You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

In this passage I see the focus of all of heaven on Christ.  The prize isn’t heaven or any tangible thing that might be in heaven, the prize is Jesus Christ.  I think that a more accurate depiction of the race of faith is like a Fun Run Marathon.  Every runner that completes the race wins a t-shirt, a sense of accomplishment, and the joy of the run.  When you run this kind of race you don’t have to worry about trying to beat someone and finish first.  You can just run the race set before you and enjoy the run.  Your goal, the prize is at the end of the race.  You only get the prize by completing the race.  Sure you can enjoy the company of other runners while they are with you.  They can even encourage you to keep running or inspire you to run harder.  You aren’t in competition with each other.  All of you are running toward the same goal.  That goal is fellowship with Jesus Christ for all eternity. 

Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

So now when I run, actual running and the race of faith, I’m running for completion.  I’m setting my sights on the end.  The prize, Jesus Christ.