Friday, August 29, 2014

Aliens in a Strange Land

Aliens in a Strange Land

As followers of christ, the Bible tells us our true home is in heaven. We are strangers passing through this land, because we are citizens of heaven. Abraham was a stranger in the land, his journey forms the basis of this weeks thoughts.

Hebrews 11:8-12New International Version (NIV)
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[a] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Abraham left Haran and headed out into an unknown land. He understood that he was a stranger in a foreign land and that his true home is in heaven. If we are also strangers in a foreign land, because our true home is heaven, then we need to learn how to live as strangers in a foreign land.

Abraham, Joshua, Ruth, Esther, and Jesus all lived as strangers in a foreign land. Jesus perhaps had the most to lose and he is our ultimate example of how to live in a foreign land and how to navigate life in an alien environment.

Phil 2 says that he left his home in heaven and made himself nothing, emptying himself of everything to live like us and to offer his life for us.

Philippians 2:5-12
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

This is the best example we have. Our attitude is to be that of Jesus – who humbled himself, giving up everything for us. But what about those that went before him? What can we learn from them? They are the heroes of the Old Testament.They are the ones who had to trust God when life did not always go to plan.

Today we will look more at Abraham and over the next few weeks we will look at how others navigated being aliens in a strange land. We have the Spirit of God within that marks us as belonging to God. We are his children and that means that we are foreigners in a strange land, because heaven is actually our home.

Lets look at Abraham.

1. Abraham listened to the call of God, and then he obeyed.

The Call of Abram
Gen 12:14
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”[b]
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.

He didn’t really know where he was going. He headed towards Canaan because that is where his father had been headed before stopping in Haran. God’s desire in calling him was to bless him and to bless future generations through him.

As we listen to and heed the call of God we can be sure that God wants to bless us and future generations. This does not mean that everything will happen easily, but it does mean that we can trust God to lead us. But we have to listen and move in accordance with God's plan.

What is God calling us to do?
What comfort zone is he asking us to step out of?

Hebrews 11 tells us that because Abraham understood that his home was in heaven and that he was an alien in a strange place – he left his place of familiarity and comfort and headed out into the unknown.

Whatever the calling is and whatever place God is calling you to, we can be sure that God is there every step of the way. As an Alien in a strange place – a strange environment – God’s desire is to bless us and to build a nation – a community of people that will honour him.

2. Faith, even when there seems no reason to hope

Abraham exercised faith even when it seemed there was no reason for hope.

Romans 4:16-21
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[a] He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[b] 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Abraham believed God. He exercised his faith even when it seemed like there was no hope. In fact, Abraham believed that God was able to make a way where there seemed to be no way.

What situation are you facing that there seems to be no way out of?
What situation seems like you are between a rock and a hard place?

Abraham was able to believe God in the impossible. The good thing is that Abraham is just like us. We are no different. We too can have a faith that believes that God can make a way even when there seems no way.

This has become one of my favourite verses because I have actually seen it happen – God making a way when it seemed impossible. I believe that Moses also had this kind of faith. He too was an alien in a foreign land.

His people had been in slavery in Egypt. He had grown up in the royal family and among a people that were not his own. He had tried to do things his own way. In fact both Abraham and Moses had tried to do things their own way, thinking that it was for the best. They made mistakes. The good news is that God still blessed them and they held on to their faith. We make mistakes, and God still wants to bless us, to use us and to fulfil his promises to us.

Moses then spent many years in the desert, as a sheep farmer in a land and among people that were not his own, and then when the time was right, he went back to Egypt to take his people to the Promised Land. But it was still a strange and foreign land. And the people he had to deal with whinged a lot; sound familiar?

Moses had to deal with it. At the Red Sea he was stuck between the Egyptian army and the Red sea, and there seemed no way out. The people responded the way we often do and complained, but Moses turned to God. He believed that even though he couldn’t change the situation God could.

Exodus 14:13-16; 21-22
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

He sought God, followed God’s direction and the impossible happened. God made a way where there was no way.

What is your Red Sea situation?
What is God asking you to do?

Abraham and Moses believed God and he made a way.

3. Willing to give up what seems important.

Abraham had a relationship with God. It was a relationship of faith, but it was this relationship that set him apart and made him right with God. Romans tells us that the relationship was more important than obedience. And the prophet Samuel says that obedience is better than sacrifice. (Because it’s only a sacrifice if it’s a sacrifice – it actually has to mean something)

This is true, because it is relationship with God that above all things marks us as aliens in a strange land. This is what separates us from other people. Abraham’s relationship and trust in God was so high that even when he was asked to give up the very thing that God had promised, the child Isaac, he was willing to trust God in that circumstance. (Genesis 22.)

Sometimes God does want us to give up things because they are not good for us. But God also wants us to trust him implicitly and be willing to give up the very things that are most important to us. The great thing about this is that God always gives us back more than we could ever imagine. God tested Abraham because he wanted Abraham to be able to trust in him at all times. He gave him his son back.

God always gives us back more than we give up. Abraham not only got his son back, but he received descendants and more. In fact, Hebrews tells us that he was able to see in faith the descendants that God was giving him.

The disciples gave up their comfortable lives for something so much better. Jesus says that if we give up things in this life for him, then we will receive back so much more in this life and in the life to come.

Mark 10:28-30
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

This is giving up something good for something that is the best.

Are we willing to give up what we have now for something better in the future?
What is God asking you to give up, so that he can give you something better, something more?

Jesus gave up his life, and received it back, with all who will believe. He gave up heaven for us, was obedient to death and then was raised to the right hand of God with everything restored, and more, he has us as his inheritance.

Concluding Thoughts
Living as an alien in a strange land means we need to understand first and foremost that this life and this world is not our real home. Our real home is in Heaven.

Living as an alien requires us to:
Heed the call of God and to act on it;
Exercise faith and believe when it seems impossible;
Be willing to give up what we have for the cause of Christ – because God has something much better for us.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Citylife Women

WOW
Introduction
There are great opportunities for us to grow in community and in faith.

God gives us the mandate to go and make disciples and his desire is that all of us will be involved as we build something significant for the kingdom. We are in it together.

God wants to bless us, he wants to bless Citylife Women and he will build his church. Citylife Women is based on the following:

1 Timothy 2:4
God wants all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth

1 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

God's desire is twofold - that people would be saved and that they be discipled and disciple others.

WOW is totally about these two things. We do lots of fun things together, but basically it is about:
·         Women saved and brought into relationship with God through faith in Christ and his atoning work on the cross

·         Ensuring each woman is loved and discipled to fulfil God's plan for her life.

This is who we are.
A community of women who are:
Confident in God
Passionate about his Kingdom
Committed to his cause

We value:
  • ·         Our cultural and generational diversity
  • ·         We value our community
  • ·         We value friendship with one another.

We endeavour to live out our values as part of a wider community by caring for each other by:
  • ·         Intentionally building our relationships and friendships
  • ·         Respecting and honouring others.

We place value on others by treating them with love and respect, helping them to come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

WOW - Women on Wednesday is:
Creating a place where women can:
Connect with God through worship
Learn to live the Christian life through lifestyle application of the word
Connect in a meaningful way with other women
Bring along their friends
Develop leadership potential

We do this through creating Community
1. Belonging
Creating a place where women feel they can belong regardless of where they are on their journey towards faith.

It is not about a doctrine, or practices etc. These have a place, but most importantly it’s about belonging. What we believe is important and we will not dilute what we believe, but we will share it with love and grace.

How we present the truth will vary over time and place, but it will still be truth.
We rely on the word of God as our source of truth and in the belief that:
·         God loves everyone
·         He sent Jesus as saviour
·         Jesus is the way to salvation
·         Heaven and hell both exist and the only way to salvation is through the atoning work of Christ.

But as women are on their personal journey towards understanding and towards faith we want them to know that there is a place that they belong.
We are a community of women, doing life together, growing, and becoming who God calls us to be.

What is a community?
Community is:
Common ownership and participation
·         In other words a sense of belonging, inclusion and involvement.

We want to create a place of love and acceptance of women regardless of where they are up to.

This does not mean we won't be challenged to change and to grow, but it does mean we are creating a community of women who are willing to accept others wherever they are at and to walk the journey of life towards faith and Discipleship with them.

Jesus accepted people; he loved them and gave the call to follow him. He is our example.

John 8:1-11. The woman caught in adultery. Jesus did not condemn her, he accepted her as she was, and extended grace and cared about her enough to say - Go and sin no more. No condemnation, just acceptance, love and a challenge.

How can we create a place where people feel they belong?

Most importantly, creating a place means being present. We create community by meeting together regularly and choosing to be part of community.
  • ·         Loving them, not judging them
  • ·         Welcoming them, by including them in our circle of friends, by caring.
  • ·         By keeping a positive attitude when we are here and not criticising
  • ·         Making sure that whatever we do, we do it with excellence because we want them to experience something that tells them that no matter their background, no matter what has gone before, they are important and they are valued.

What is community?
It is ownership.
 As we take a healthy ownership of what God is doing amongst us we will see amazing things.
A healthy community:
  • ·         Cares about each other
  • ·         Challenges ideas and challenges “the norms”.

A healthy community remains healthy by
  • ·         Accepting everyone, judging no-one and by an over-riding love.
  • ·         By embracing the new,
  • ·         Embracing people and by putting others first.

A community remains healthy by being intentional about what it does
For us this means by being intentional in our relationships, by honouring one another and by loving one another.

We want to develop a culture of honouring people. We do this by:
  • ·         Developing and maintaining a positive attitude towards others
  • ·         Honouring others by contributing – by engaging in the worship, not talking across other people, honouring the times of prayer.

·         Be thinking about how we can honour one another.

Q. What can I do to personally honour those around me?
Q. How can I contribute in a positive way to our community?

2. Focus on them
We want to reach women who do not yet know Jesus. Therefor our mindset is an “other person” mindset.

The focus of what we do is to help women grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. We exist to reach unsaved people and share God's love with them.

Of course the question that arises is "what about me and my needs?"

Two things here
·         In Jesus, every real need we have has been met. We need to learn to live it out.
Col 3
In Him, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

·         This also highlights the importance of friends and life group (though this should also have an outreach/other person focus,)

The key thing is that in Christ we have everything and those without Christ have nothing.

Go Make Disciples

·         GO - this is going into the world and sharing the love of Jesus with the people in your circle of influence.

·         MAKE DISCIPLES - looking after people, helping them in their walk with God, getting involved in life group and reaching out to others.

What are we personally doing to go - to embrace the opportunity we have all around us?.
God wants all to be saved. God wants those who are saved to be discipled and to disciple others.
This is not about personality, this is about loving others.

Be a friend
We all have people that we know through life, people in our sphere of influence, at work and amongst family and friends.   

We can care about people and be a friend, doing the journey of life with them and encouraging them. In relationship we can become the one who helps our friend discover the love and grace of God.

Tell a friend
As we develop relationships with other women, we will find opportunities to share the hope that we have.

We do not need to force it, we just get to know them and listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is his job to convict people, and draw them towards salvation.

We lift up the name of Jesus in our actions and in our words, by living in relationship with him, and in sharing God's love for others.

Bring a friend
We all have the opportunity to bring people with us.

We can invite others to come with us on the journey. (I'm talking the unsaved, unchurched here and not about pinching other Christians from elsewhere).

Praying
One of the most effective things we can do is to simply take time to pray for other people to come to know Jesus. Pray for the women in your sphere of influence. Ask God to bless them and to show them his love.

God wants all to be saved. Our main focus is them, and not us.

Q. Who will I pray for?
Q. How can I be a friend to someone?

3. Faith
Our faith is integral to our lives. Let’s not be fatalistic about what happens but believe that God wants to bless us and to build his church.

Let’s be women who transform our thinking, with our lives are grounded in faith in a mighty God who is:
 "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to his power at work in us". Eph 3:20

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Heb 11:1

We can be certain that God wants people to come to faith in Jesus. We can be certain that God wants people in relationship with him, and in relationship with others.

Q. How can I begin to exercise my faith?

Conclusion
God wants us to be a community of believers who are part of a broader community of women seeking to grow in the journey of life and encouraging others to come on the journey with us.
Will you be a part of it?