JourneyMEN – January 17, 2008
INTRODUCTION – Series – The E.P.I.C. LifeThis past weekend we were called to be Participatory in our faith.
Matthew 4:19“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus began His public ministry with a simple invitation…“Come, follow me,” Arguably the Disciples who heard this call are the ones that Participated at the highest level! The people whose lives were really impacted and changed by God were the ones that understood the EPIC kind of life.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why is it important to God that we participate?
Why is it important to the Church and each other that we participate?
In what ways can I Participate in the community and in the church in order for Jesus to accomplish his mission in the world?
As men, why do we sometimes find it hard to take the step to participate? How can we overcome that?
How can participating keep us passionate about our enthusiasm for God?
WHAT WILL YOU DO?Starting this week, how will you get involved? What will your involvement and participation look like in JourneyMEN in 2008?
CHANGING YOUR MIND Matthew 28:18-20
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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3 comments:
JourneyMen:
I realize that I may have sounded a little harsh this morning, and I wanted a chance to explain myself a little bit more.
In the Bible verses we discussed briefly this morning, Jesus told Peter and Andrew to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. We didn't spend as much time on the following verse, Matthew 4:20, which said, "And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." These guys didn't hang onto their work, or any part of their lives. They literally dropped what they were doing and went straight after Him.
Yet in this morning's meeting, I heard echoes of men who were still figuratively holding onto their nets. As we were discussing "participation," some voiced their perceived problems with trying to schedule work, family, and spiritual time together. In our last meeting last year, there were guys who shared that they didn't think about what they should be doing for God when it came to laying out personal goals. Are we still clinging onto nets when we should be vehemently pursuing the Savior? Did Peter and Andrew say, "Yeah, I think we have some time to follow you, in between first and second draughts during the day. Except on Tuesdays, when we have Hebrew Scouts at Apollos' house"?
Permit me to ask a painful question: is Christ an afterthought in your life? Is your faith something that you find time to "participate" in, just like playing in a basketball league, setting up a school function for your kids, or being a part of the local Rotary Club? Did Christ die for you so that you could find a convenient time to put Him into your schedule?
Or, are you living for Christ? Were your sins crucified with Him, and now you want to learn as much as you can about Him and do everything you can for Him? Have you fallen on your face before Him and repented for your life, and put your total and complete trust in Him? Not, "Accepting Jesus," or, "Asking Him into your heart," but a true contrition, with sorrow in your heart, asking for mercy?
Believe me, I'd rather not stir things up or ask these sorts of pointed questions either, but the Bible says that open rebuke is better than secret love. We have to be asking each other these sorts of things to ensure that our walk with Christ is sound, and that the men who sit with us in these sorts of group settings are soundly saved. We have to abandon our nets and partake, commune, and have fellowship with Him and with each other. Mere "participation" will not do.
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Christian
Christian,
No one ever suggested that mere participation is all that is required by God.
I believe you may have taken the intended use for the word out of context.
Simply put, the point I wanted to get across today was that the Church, the Community and most importantly, God desires and wants us to be invloved and particpate rather than sitting back and doing little or nothing...
co
Charles:
You are absolutely right on. God does want us to be doing His Will here on earth. And you are right, just participating is not God's requirement for us to be with Him. That was not my intent with that final sentence, either.
My focus was more on how people could lack the zeal to serve Him or want to participate in what He has for us. Why is it that some people see church as a chore and serving in some sort of ministry as something on par with volunteering for trash pickup community service? Why do people put God as one of the final things on a "to-do" list instead of the very first thing?
I know, just like everyone else, that we do have families, jobs, and other obligations in life. And God wants us to be good stewards in those relationships. But how is it that we hear men even within our own church sometimes put things before God overall? Just like you said very well, why is it that we find people sitting back and doing little?
I suppose I have taken that word out of context in voicing my frustration. I viewed "participation" as a transient word that would allow men to placate their relationship with God, as though to say, "I've checked off my box this week for serving Jesus." I don't want to see people participating as a task on a list, but as a yearning to do the Will of God.
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Christian
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