|
You must be convinced of eternal realities.
We must be convinced that our salvation is more than deliverance from hell-but it is entering the eternal life of sonship, of being co-heir with Christ, and ‘throne room’ intimacy with God.
It is being convinced that God has planned our days and years and works and even relationships in this age. It is being convinced of this scripted life-His script –masterminded by the author and perfector of life.
It is being convinced that God commands fruitfulness from His investment.
It is being convinced that our earthly life is to be trained to rule and reign with Christ forever, to demonstrate our ability and qualification for the millennial and eternal privilege. To take this one thing to heart would transform everything.
We are each given a scripted life-our life has been scripted from eternity, and we are invited on a journey of faith and obedience, trusting entirely on Him to bring it about. The script is way beyond our scope-it has to be-so we absolutely cling to Him for its outworking. The scriptwriter wants to be the epicentre and core essence of our existence. If we are living to God’s script, God will be the nucleus of our being. If we are the author of our own script, then we will be the centre and source of our life.
Two paths (See Diagram)
The ‘God life’ is about really living, not just ‘getting by’, ‘passing time’, until Christ returns.
The script is eternally perfect, anointed, and designed to succeed, given that the vessel is prepared. The script has been prepared for each person and is tailor made to fit our own distinctive character, personality, gift, talent and anointing.
Eph1:11 –predestined according to the plan of Him –according to His purpose.
Eph 2:10 – created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Psalm 139 –all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Matthew 25 –Parable of Talents.
We live our lives to hear the words ‘well done good and faithful servant’. We must live in such a way that we pursue ‘greatness’ or reward in the ages to come. Luke 19, the servants are rewarded with cities, or greater responsibility and honour in the age to come.
We can be shortsighted in living our life. There is something beyond our time on earth. This life really is preparation for the age and ages to come. Life on earth is an internship, which prepares us for ruling and reigning with Christ during the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth, and into eternity, which is when our ‘main ministry’ begins.
The way we live, our choices, our obedience to Christ, our relationship to Christ, our degree of Christlikeness; determines where and how we will function in the millennial kingdom and eternity. It determines our place in the heavenlies, and our relationship with the Lord in the Millennial kingdom in ruling and reigning with Him. It is proportionate to the quality and kind of our labour and service in this life. This is not a salvation issue, but a reward issue. The fact that some will rule over two cities, some over five, some over ten and some will not rule over any, shows that there are degrees of reward.
1 Cor 3:12-15, Matt 25, Luke 19, Rev 20.
The parables are about faithfulness with what we are given, and diligence to use it to the fullest possible extent. A desire to be productive in the kingdom. God expects ‘profit’ from his investment in us. It is about being fruitful for His kingdom/business. He holds us accountable for what we have done with what He has entrusted to us.
Fruitfulness is about what you have done in this life by the grace of God that is given. Not every work is God’s work. Just because it is spiritual, or religious , or because we are fulfilling a need, does not mean that the work will earn for us honour, reward, or distinction. The works of God are those that have their inception in Him, and are performed by the power of His life, by motives that are pure, and that seek His purposes only, and His glory.
John Wesley, “My desire is to be on full stretch for God”
Mission and purpose must be at the centre of our soul. Moving beyond our own concerns and interests. Consider Christ’s redemptive ministry. Jesus was completely given to it. He was single-minded in pursuit of his objective. He avoided unproductive effort. He was neither encouraged or discouraged by man’s opinions and reactions to Him. And he was not deterred by the ongoing satanic onslaught. He channelled his effort in one direction: the Cross.
Why do we bury our talent?
· Feel like we can’t meet the high expectations of God? 3rd servant had the view that his master was unreasonable, there was no way to please him, so he decided to not even try. All too hard.
· Sense of lack of grace and gifting?
· Unbelief or ignorance? Lack of eternal/kingdom perspective and purposes of God.
· Living under judgement instead of freedom.
· Too busy? Parable of soils – type 3
· Own agenda –parable of soils –type 2. Enjoy life as we know it.
Do I really want to run the race that has been set before me?
You must be convinced that you want to run the race that the Father has set before you. The one that was ordained for you. The life of sonship set before you, predestined for you.
If we don’t embrace Galatians 2:20, and give our lives fully to the race that God has set before us, then our best intentioned Christian life will come up with a very good plan B, good but just not God’s plan. A ‘shadow’ of what could have been. And then there is the spirit of the age, the agenda of the world, constantly enticing us to carnality, to live by the flesh, and to live according to the world’s system, and to live a life that is acceptable, and in fact, honoured by man.
We must get rid of double mindedness. It leads to lukewarmness. We try to live for two kingdoms. We try to mix the way of life demanded by the world with the way of Christ and the kingdom of God. We try to mix love for things, people, places, and principles of the world, with love for God.
And we end up lukewarm - no passion or strength to move into what God has for us.
1 Cor 9:24-27
Paul disciplined himself to fulfil his mission. He ran with a clear goal ahead of him.
Run –to run, to strive to advance, exert effort, make progress. Every runner could run in vain potentially, not accomplishing the will of God. Do not run aimlessly. We must endure. Prepared to run.
Striving – to strive, contend, to enter a contest. Lay down your life for the prize. There is a continual struggle that must take place if one is to enter the kingdom of God by the narrow door. Great personal discipline and self control is necessary to accomplish one’s goal.
Prize-reward awaits believers for overcoming life’s challenges. God gives crowns to the faithful for reward. The crown demonstrates Christ’s approval and His acceptance of our work.
Obtain/Get – take over, seize, obtain, grasp firmly, comprehend, understand, perceive, catch. Reaching out and taking by force if necessary to overtake your opponent. Reach out and seize God’s purpose for you. There will be opposition. People oppose you. There will be satanic attacks. Harassment will appear. You do not give in or give up. Must live with a warfare mentality.
|
24/7 MetaChurch :: PO Box 8189 HANNANS WA 6433 :: (+618) 9021 6632 :: cpvanderwal@optusnet.com.au