Ignition

If you've ever taken a fire safety class, you're probably familiar with the fire triangle, a graphic that reminds those concerned that three components are necessary for fire. They are: heat, fuel and oxygen. The idea, as far as fire-fighting is concerned, is that if you deprive a fire of any of the three, it will be extinguished. And, of course, without all three, there will be no ignition.

As this year's spiritual renewal weekend, known as Ignite, approaches (September 10-12), It strikes me that similar components are necessary for spiritual fire.

Oxygen: Nothing worthwhile happens in the church without the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing across its surface. In fact the church was started at Pentecost when "a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came" and the believers "saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them." And they were "filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2: 3,4 NIV)

Heat: The heat for renewal can come from many sources. We will depending on Charley Reeb to provide much it for this particular emphasis (whether or not he preaches "fire and brimstone") out of what Dr Self has described as the "fire in his own heart".

Fuel: It's going to be up to us to provide the fuel for this particular fire. Each of us need to"fan into flame the gift of God" in our own lives (I Timothy 1:6 NIV). In addition, as members of the Force Of Seventy, we need to be leading the way in inviting our neighbors.

I'm thankful for the work that the Witness Events Team, the church staff, and all the committees and volunteers responsible for Ignite have done, and I'm excited about the potential this emphasis holds for renewal, evangelism and growth for Johns Creek.

Shaking Our Place

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6: 18-20 NIV)


As we enter our third-quarter small-steps emphasis on prayer, let's commit to pray for the Force Of Seventy program.

Evangelism is, for most of us, not easy. Except for that small minority who are especially gifted in this area, sharing the good news doesn’t come naturally. However, if you think about it, that’s actually good. Why? If evangelism were easy, we could do it ourselves - we wouldn’t need God. It wasn’t easy in the first century either. After a quick start, the early church began to face furious opposition. Yet they knew where to turn for help.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4: 31 NIV)


Please pray.

• Pray for yourself that you will have the time, ability and energy to fulfill your role on your team.
• Pray that God will provide clarity to our leadership and to each of us as individuals as to how this still new emphasis should work.
• Pray that the Lord will send and reveal to us more prospects so that all the teams will be able to perform the tasks for which they have been gifted and trained.
• Pray the Holy Spirit will come down and shake our place and our lives so that we too may “speak the word of God boldly.”

Also consider setting aside time to pray for your team members, and for the other teams. They are:

• Workplace Witness Team
• Neighborhood Witness Team
• Worship Hosts
• Sunday School Outreach Team
• Telephone Witness Team
• Prospect Mining Team
• Outside Groups Witness Team
• Corps of 25
• Witness Events Team
• Communications/Emerging Technologies Team

We have a great God! We have access to Him through His only Son. We have the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So--- Why wait? Stop now and go to God on behalf of the Force of Seventy. And, the next time your at the church building, you might want to stop by and visit our nice new remodeled prayer room. You'll be glad you did!

Answering Rhetorical Questions

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15 NIV)

When the apostle Paul wrote these lines to the church at Rome, he was in all likelihood not awaiting answers to his questions before continuing. These were in fact rhetorical questions. The answers should have been obvious. However, this young church at the political center of the first century world needed to answer them for themselves.

How can they call on the one they have not believed in?

Well...... they can't.

How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

Not going to happen.

How can they hear without someone preaching to them?

They can't.

How can they preach unless they are sent?

.... We'd better send "preachers".


As members of the 21st century church, JCBC, and the Force of Seventy, we must answer these same questions. We are part of the same plan they were. We've been given the same task - to tell the good news to those around us - to Go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. We must constantly be mindful that there are people who may not ever know the joy of belonging to Jesus Christ unless each of us is faithful to share with them.

I've been asking myself a few "rhetorical" questions lately. Maybe they'll help you too.

Do I know my next door neighbors? - their names? - their children's names?

Do I know anything about what's going on in their lives?

Am I too busy to spend time with a friend or neighbor who needs a listening ear?

Am I approachable to people at work that might need to know that there is a God that loves them?

Do I come across as the kind of person who would know such things?

Asking these questions is helpful as I strive to be the witness God has called me to be. Especially when I come to one for which the answer is "not so much".

When Isaiah saw God in the temple high and lifted up, he was asked a couple of questions that weren't merely rhetorical: "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

Today, God is asking us the same thing and not so rhetorically either. The real question is whether we’ll answer God as Isaiah did when he declared, “Here am I. Send me!"?

Pointless

What if I could speak

all languages

of humans

and of angels?

If I did not love others,

I would be nothing more

than a noisy gong

or a clanging cymbal.

What if I could prophesy

and understand all secrets

and all knowledge?

And what if I had faith

that moved mountains?

I would be nothing,

unless I loved others.

What if I gave away all

that I owned

and let myself

be burned alive? I would gain nothing,

unless I loved others.

Love is kind and patient,

never jealous, boastful,

proud, or rude.

Love isn't selfish

or quick tempered.

It doesn't keep a record

of wrongs that others do.

Love rejoices in the truth,

but not in evil.

Love is always supportive,

loyal, hopeful,

and trusting.

Love never fails!

Everyone who prophesies

will stop,

and unknown languages

will no longer

be spoken.

All that we know

will be forgotten.

We don't know everything,

and our prophecies

are not complete.

But what is perfect

will someday appear,

and what isn't perfect

will then disappear.

When we were children,

we thought and reasoned

as children do.

But when we grew up,

we quit our childish ways.

Now all we can see of God

is like a cloudy picture

in a mirror.

Later we will see him

face to face.

We don't know everything,

but then we will,

just as God completely

understands us.

For now there are faith,

hope, and love.

But of these three,

the greatest is love.

(I Corinthians 13, CEV)


Pretty clear, isn't it? We could cross all barriers of culture and language. We could say all the right words in all the right ways. We could perform miracles and all kinds of amazing feats. We could remember all the right witnessing methods and all the right verses. We could make tremendous sacrifices and give everything we have away. However if our actions aren't motivated by a genuine love for our Saviour and our fellow man we might as well be on vacation at the beach.

May we understand what one of the most gifted evangelists who ever lived understood: that gifted isn't enough. May the Lord grant each of us so much love for everyone one we meet, we want to introduce them to love's creator.

Following the Steps and Stops of Jesus

The Invitation

According to scripture, the two greatest commands are that we love God and love others. Jesus not only spoke these words, but also lived out obedience to them. Perhaps that explains why he so often issued the invitation to, “Follow me.” He knew who He was and where He was going, that following Him and His example would always lead others to love and love well, to love God most of all and to love people into the Kingdom.

When Jesus said, “Come follow me” people did. Many left homes, careers, and material possessions to walk along the same paths Jesus walked. I believe the disciples watched Jesus’ every step as they moved with Him down dusty roads, up mountain trails, and out into the countryside. They knew full well the God-sized sandals Jesus wore. And when Peter attempted to walk on water, he probably realized that Jesus’ steps were a step above all others.

When we read the gospels, we often trace the steps of Jesus. As modern day disciples, we follow His steps when we enter the waters of baptism like He did or when we rise early in the morning and withdraw to a solitary place to pray as was His habit. Do you attend church regularly? Jesus did, too.

Answering the call to follow Jesus and inviting others to follow Him is what discipleship and evangelism are all about. Studying His steps is necessary if we are to imitate His walk. But let me ask you a question. Have you ever thought about the stops of Jesus? The interruptions in his busy schedule?

Jesus was a busy person. He had places to go and plenty to do. Still, He was not too busy to stop and stoop when a need arose. Think about it. The gospels are filled with episodes when Jesus was headed somewhere only to be interrupted along the way. He was on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter when He felt the power go out of Him. He stopped to acknowledge a woman who took a chance and reached her hand through the crowd to brush against the hem of Jesus’ robe. She was healed and Jesus was stilled. On another occasion, He was in route to a lonely place for a little R and R when the crowds flooded the hillside hungry for a message and a meal. Instead of getting a break, Jesus multiplied a few loaves and broke enough bread to feed five thousand men and their families. Again, Jesus took time to be interrupted, time out of taking steps to make some important stops. And so, Jesus’ stops teach us as much or more as did his steps.

John chapter four records a most unlikely scenario. Jesus is in an unlikely place where he experiences an unlikely encounter with unlikely results.

Unlikely Place

Jesus had traveled as far as Jacob’s well in Sychar, a town in Samaria, when He decided to stop for a rest. Even though Jesus was tired and hungry, He’d chosen a most unlikely rest stop. Ordinarily Jews avoided going through Samaria altogether. They took the long route around instead. But on this particular day, Jesus went into Samaria and after sending the disciples into town to buy food, stopped and sat. He rested alone until a woman came to draw water.

Unlikely Encounter

The woman came to the well at an unusual time of day. Instead of walking there with the other women from her village, this Samaritan woman was alone. Custom dictated that Jews and Samaritans didn’t communicate with each other. Neither did men of that time period talk to women in public. So when Jesus and the woman began to talk cultural barriers were crossed and we find an unlikely encounter indeed. Two people who ordinarily wouldn’t even interact were suddenly in deep conversation about personal matters, spiritual truths, and living water.

Unlikely Results

The Samaritan woman had come to the well to draw water for her family. Jesus looked at her with compassion and insight. He saw beyond her water jar and her sinful past and saw her spiritual thirst and need for forgiveness. Jesus’ rest stop at the well ended with some most unlikely results. The Samaritan woman was so enthralled with Jesus that she not only yielded to Him herself, but she also had to tell others. Before Jesus ever uttered the commission to “Go and make disciples: this woman went. In fact, she forgot her physical thirst altogether. Instead of taking water back to her family. She left her water jar and went back into the village where she told others about Jesus. She invited her family members, friends, and neighbors to follow Jesus. And they did. And “many in that town believed because of her testimony.”(John 4:39 NIV)

The Samaritan woman drank the living water Jesus offered and was compelled to evangelism. We are compelled to evangelism when we follow the steps and stops of Jesus. As we follow Him, we may find ourselves in some unlikely places experiencing some unlikely encounters with some unlikely results. We may just invite others to follow Jesus and they may just believe because of our testimonies.

As you go about this week stepping and stopping, remember to love God most of all and to love others into the Kingdom.

Our Motivation

Because Of Love

Think about the person who first shared the good news with you. What do you think motivated them? Perhaps it was part of their job. Perhaps they were acting somewhat out of a sense of duty. But chances are there was another motivation at work. Whether it was a parent, Sunday school teacher, or a friend, they likely cared about you. They were probably motivated to some extent by love and concern for you.

Likewise, we must share the gospel not only because it is an absolute imperative of the Christian life, but also because we genuinely love others and want to see them experience the joy and peace we have found in Christ

Like Jesus

We are called to be like our savior, who showed love to everyone he met. – who had compassion on the crowds “because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 NIV)

Jesus loved the "unlovable". He touched the leper - someone considered unclean, who by law had to separate himself from the rest of society. He called a tax collector, someone who was considered to be a traitor by his countrymen, to be one of his disciples. He sat down and shared meals with prostitutes and "sinners", despite the disapproval of the religious establishment.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NIV)

For God so loved,
....that He sent Jesus who loved,
....who sent the disciples to love.

Faithful witnessing is more than remembering all the right words, all the right methods and all the right scripture. At its very heart, It is about seeing others through the eyes of God's Son. If we are to be faithful to our calling, we must continue Jesus' earthly ministry, showing genuine love and concern for everyone we meet.

The Great Commission - Part 2

Go

....go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28: 19 NIV)

Previously, we discussed the fact that The Great Commission involves the command to "go". There is no disputing the fact that Jesus intended and intends for His disciples to make intentional efforts and intentional journeys specifically to share the good news. His disciples certainly took this command seriously. The book of Acts is primarily a record of the intentional missionary efforts of Peter, Paul, Barnabus, Silas, and others.

As You Go

This week we'd like to consider another idea of what Jesus was commanding.

Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28: 19 ISV)

Although only a few of us are called to be full time "career" missionaries, whose only vocation is sharing the gospel, each of us is called to a "mission field". Several New Testament churches were started by believers who spread the good news wherever life took them. The great missionary church in Antioch was started by Christians fleeing persecution in Jerusalem. The church at Rome was probably started by Roman Jews who had become believers while visiting Jerusalem during Pentecost. And even the churches that were planted as the result of missionary efforts, experienced growth primarily because the members were willing to be witnesses to their neighbors.

We've all agreed before; Let's acknowledge the fact again: Each of us (by our membership in the force of 70, and by our desire to follow Christ) has been called to be an evangelist. Let's consider the tremendous impact we could have if we are willing to be used by the Holy Spirit to make disciples "as we go".

Always On The Go?

Where will you be going this week? Home,.... work,.... the grocery store,.... school,..... the pool,.... the beach? As you go, will you listen for that inner voice that might be leading you to share the good news with someone by words and action. We have learned that the choice is not ours: We are the salt of the earth! Let's find joy in spreading it everywhere life takes us.