24/7: Twenty-Four Seven Series

24/7: Twenty-four seven

A young soldier and his commanding officer got on a train together. The only available seats were across from an attractive young women who was traveling with her grandmother. As they engaged in pleasant conversation, the soldier and the young woman kept eyeing one another; the attraction was obviously mutual. Suddenly the train went into a tunnel and the car became pitch black.

Immediately two sounds were heard: the “smack” of a kiss, and the “whack” of a slap across the face. The grandmother thought “I can’t believe he kissed my granddaughter, but I’m glad she gave him the slap he deserved.” The commanding officer thought, “I don’t blame the boy for kissing girl, but it’s a shame that she missed his face and hit me instead.”

The young girl thought, “I’m glad he kissed me, but I wish my grandmother hadn’t slapped him for doing it.” And as the train broke into the sunlight, the soldier could not wipe the smile off his face. He had just seized the opportunity to kiss a pretty girl and slap his commanding officer and had gotten away with both!

Now, that young soldier knew how seize the opportunity! In the same way, we must take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way to fulfill our purpose in life.

Unfortunately, many times we get so caught up in the details of every day to day living that we just don’t have the time to seize the day that has been given us.

We’ve got deadlines and commitments, problems, and priorities, distractions and obstacles, and though we really want more fulfillment from each day, it just doesn’t seem to be within our grasp. No one wants life to be just average, at least not many of us are willing to admit it. But by nature, we want our lives to be full and prosperous.

I am going to begin a mini-series that will finish out the month of September. It is really a look at the life of Jesus and three life lessons that we should endeavor to build into our lives. This series is a series on discipleship reduced down to the most basic of outline. As disciples or Christ Follower, our mission on this earth is to make and multiply disciples or Christ followers.

Over the next three weeks we are going to look at Living like Jesus lived, Loving like Jesus loved and Leaving behind what Jesus left behind.

Ephesians 5:15-21 “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” NIV

We have been given a mission and it could easily be code named. Doesn’t sound exciting? The Mission! We are going to code name it: 24/7!

We exist on this earth for one reason. We are to be reflections of Jesus Christ. We are to shine His light or the light of His Good News into the darkness. We are to live each day in celebration of our God. Our lives are a testimony to His work in them.

“The good news is Jesus transcends all cultures. Jesus is not modern, Jesus is not post modern. And his body, the church, is neither modern or postmodern, though it lives within both cultural paradigms. Ultimately, Christ’s community is a way of life that incarnates into and challenges any and every culture, in every time, in every place. Mission is an intrinsically translational task. Throughout history, God has shown himself relating to people within their cultural frame of reference. The life and work of Jesus Christ set a pattern for the church’s mission. In the incarnation, God became more than words. The Word himself entered culture in a specific time and space. (John 1:14)” – Jonathan Campbell

What does it mean to live like Jesus lived? How did He live? The word that epitomizes Jesus Christ more than any other would have to be the word servant. He was a servant. He was the ultimate servant.

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” Philippians 2:5-8