Over the past few weeks we've been talking about raising the octane of our relationship with Jesus Christ, our relationship with the Holy Spirit, and our relationship with the Church, the body of Christ. This morning is all about increasing the octane of our relationship with God's world.
Before we get started, let me sum things up from the first three sermons in this series. If you want to change your life or change your world, first change your relationships. Start with Jesus. Jesus says that we should believe in him and trust him. When has trusting Jesus ever led you astray? Never. But how often have you been disappointed by people, by things, or even by yourself? But what does God say in Hebrews 13:5 (ESV). "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Do you want to change, and be an agent for change? Continue with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts us in regard to sin, righteousness, and the coming judgment. He is in constant dialogue with us, guiding us, directing us, leading us, nudging us, and even rebuking us. Instead of resisting the Spirit, discover what it means to be led by the Holy Spirit and to obey the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:25 (ESV), "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." At first the Spirit's whispers feel unnatural and counterintuitive. But in time, the Spirit of the living God leads us into life and freedom. Our own judgments lead us into death, and into deeper bondage to sin.
Do you want to change, and be a change agent? Get a new family. It's as radical and revolutionary as it sounds. Let God be your heavenly father. Let God grant you new life and a new birth. Let him adopt you, graft you into the living vine, and transfer you into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Let God surround you with new brothers and sisters, men who will be like spiritual fathers, women who can be like spiritual mothers, and people who will genuinely love you and help you discover the best that God has for your life. Get connected. Go deeper. This is best time of year to get connected at Lakeside.
The octane of your relationship to the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Church is critical. These are vital, life-giving relationships. They enable us to thrive. Neglecting them causes us to die a kind of slow death.
Let me wrap this series up by addressing our relationship with God's world. So how might you describe people's default relationship with the world? I think Romans 12:2 (ESV) is as good as any description. Paul says, "Do not be conformed to this world..."
The world is a very conforming place. Universities pride themselves as being places where individuals can freely express their beliefs. But give it a try. If you don't conform to the world's way of thinking and behaving, you get bullied, you get punished, or you get labeled a fanatic. It doesn't go so well for us if we don't laugh with our culture, carry the mantle of its politically correct causes, or parrot its self justifications for rebelling against God. Our culture has virtually redefined what it means to be a Christ-follower.
Nowadays churches are more concerned about being relevant to culture and conforming to the culture as opposed to differentiating themselves from culture. But if you're going to truly follow Christ, you're going to be different! In John 15:18-19 (ESV) Jesus warned, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
The critical question before us this morning is whether our relationship is going to be any different in the world for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the sake of his cause. And if it's to be different, how might we raise the octane of our relationship with the world?
From Conforming to Praying
Romans 12:2 (ESV) offers an alternative to conforming to the world. Paul says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Wow! Instead of taking what the world gives us, Paul is suggesting that we stop, we test, and we discern the will of God in all things. This is a prescription for prayer if I've ever heard one. How often do we pray before acting or speaking? How often do we turn to the Bible to discern the path we are about to choose?
You've surely heard of impulse shopping. Impulse shopping is when you recklessly buy something without weighing its true cost or true benefit to your life. Well, we're guilty of impulse living. We are guilty of conforming to the world without first discerning God's will. We are guilty of acting without considering whether something is good, acceptable, or perfect in God's eyes.
Let me assure you, you would live quite differently if you approached your world through prayer and meditation on scripture. God would give you an entirely different lens. You'd never walk the same again. You'd realize that the world's normal is broken, whereas God's way will never fail you.
From Praying to Caring
Just a word of warning, once you start praying a remarkable thing will happen. You will begin to see people differently. That is, you will see them through God's eyes and from God's perspective. And it won't be long before you begin living with and approaching people differently. For example, instead of being entertained by sin, you will be grieved by sin. You will genuinely care about how sin wrecks people's lives and eternity.
In Matthew 9:35 and forward, we find Jesus proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. His message is that people can be forgiven and spared God's judgment on their sin. He also says that they can be set free through the power of the Holy Spirit. They can have a new life that wells up into everlasting life! If you care about people, you will proclaim forgiveness and freedom.
If you care about people, you will also respond to their needs. In Matthew 9:35 notice Jesus' actions. He is healing every disease and affliction among the people. And in Matthew 9:36 (ESV) notice the manner in which Jesus responded to their needs. "When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
Compassion is as much about what you feel, as it is about what you do. Philippians 2:1-4 (ESV) says, "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from (his) love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." My dad would always say, "There you go again, looking out for number one. If you truly care for people, you'll put them before yourself." I'm still learning!
From Caring To Trailblazing
In Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV) Jesus tells his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
There is a higher octane response to our world more than just caring. Jesus was a trailblazer. A trailblazer makes the world a less intimidating place for others. Jesus showed the power of prayer, the power of compassion, and the power of kindness. Jesus proved that when we serve God and put others first, we never labor in vain. But Jesus did more than just care about people. He got others off the sidelines and onto the field. Jesus blazed a path into the world so that we would follow in his steps. He had his disciples in tow.
It's awesome to see people praying over our city and over the world. It's awesome to see someone like you getting off the sidelines. But it's even more awesome when you trailblaze a path for others to answer God's call. If you're a parent, how do you get your whole family serving God's world? If you're a small group leader, how do you get your group or class serving people far from God? It takes a leader to blaze the path.
On September 21 we're hosting a conference of trailblazers here at Lakeside. These are people who are non-conformists. These are people who are changing the world! These are people who first prayed, then cared enough to act, but who are now blazing the path for others to follow. Please join us as we learn from these followers of Jesus.