#4 Wire Into Wisdom! Learning To Stay Connected

Series - Maximum Impact

“Live for maximum impact! Make a difference!” is what the Lord has been saying to me this month! There is a world that is being devastated by sin all around us. I don’t want to rehearse all the evidences of the brokenness for I know that you know it well. I also know that, as disciples of the Lord of life, we are empowered to live differently - the ‘abundant life’ is what Jesus called it - and we are called to lead others to Him. Maximum impact disciples are not just focused on getting others ‘saved’ so they can go to Heaven. They are involved in their world working to bring about justice, to defeat oppression, to lift up those who are sad!

They share the mission of Jesus Christ which He announced by taking the words of Isaiah -

Luke 4:18-19

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

So far, in this series of messages, I’ve talked with you about the new identity that God offers to each of us in Christ, about the reality of God’s Presence all around in daily life. We considered Gideon, a frightened farmer that God called to be a “Mighty Warrior,” Israel’s deliverer.

I talked with you about walking with God, like Abraham, who lived with his eyes fixed on God’s promises, and walked out His will, day by day.

And, last week, I spoke about the importance of having goals and making sure they are worthy of our status as God’s people. We took the negative example of Judas Iscariot, who began well with Jesus, but then became captive of his own dreams, and in the deception of self-will, became a traitor who died tragically!

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Today, I want to emphasize the essential importance of wiring ourselves into the wisdom of God.

I believe that the single most influential development in the world in the last two decades is the Internet! It has brought about what is called ‘the information age.’ It is now possible for a preacher in Washington, NJ to communicate with a pastor in Indonesia- so that their lives influence each other.

The Internet is an amazing source of information - some bad, some good.

ill.- Last Saturday, I discovered that my Miata’s radiator was leaking. I sat down with my computer,

typed in some search phrases and soon found a place where the process of replacing it was laid out, in detail, complete with pictures! It looked like something I could do, so I went to another website and ordered a radiator, which was delivered to my door on Tuesday!

On a much more serious note, when Dad became very ill back in January, his surgeon told me he had a mesenteric carcinoid tumor. I was able to spend hours searching through medical articles to find out as much as I could about this kind of cancer. The information was so valuable and helped me to understand the treatments offered to him by his doctors.

The incredible wealth of information, the ability that I enjoy to build a network of relationships, the nearly instant communication that is possible - has enriched my life and made me much more productive.

“So, is this a commercial for Dell computers or a sermon?” you may be asking. No, there is a spiritual point here. Let’s go there!

A Disciple desiring to live for maximum impact, to really make a difference, needs to be wired for wisdom, connected the Source.

No computer is needed, no technological skills are required! We find the wisdom and information we need to live for Him, when we learn to live in constant conversation with the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

The old trawler was in her last hours afloat! The captain called the small crew together; counted them, and looked down at a paper in his hand. With a grim face he asked, “Does anyone here know how to pray?”

One young sailor put up his hand, “I do!”

“Great,” the captain responded, “You pray while the rest of us put on life jackets. We’re one short!”

For many people, probably including some of us in this room, prayer is the choice of last resort – when we’re out of life jackets – then, finally; we turn to prayer.

The Bible says that prayer should be a way of life, a constant conversation with God – in good times, in bad times, in moments of confusion, and in peaceful rest.

1 Thessalonians 5.17 tells us that we must “Pray continually!”