Complete The Journey Series

1. Annette White has written a book entitled, “Bucket List Adventures.” She also has a website that lists 800+ items on her Bucket List. She shows her progress through broad topics with specific actions like:

• Adventure – Catch a wave surfing

• Animals and Nature – Bathe an elephant; Chase a tornado

• Connect and Relationships – Have a meaningful conversation with a stranger

• Creativity – Act in a play

What I noticed on her list was very little spiritual formation activities

2. Do you have a “Bucket List”?

• Make your bucket lists – family; travels; etc. what about in CHURCH/Ministry Arena?

• How many of us are coasting for Christ?

3. We may never achieve our dreams and our dreams for God, but if we don’t try, we will likely accomplish little or nothing –

a. “Failure is not reaching a goal; failure is not having a goal.”

b. Paul’s Goal Philippians 3.12-14 (NLT)

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

c. Following Jesus is not about waiting to go to heaven. Ephesians 4.1

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

• Realize you are called by God – you are not here to occupy a pew; just to take in air; God has called each of us to a task beyond us.

• If we are alive, it is because God has something for us to do [Paul Tucker’s prayer: “Lord if you have something for me to do tomorrow, wake me up.” One day He didn’t.

4. The hope of the world is the local church – 3.10 (ESV)

10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

a. We are created to live extraordinary lives – because we have an extraordinary God

b. Christianity is too often predictable and boring – God is neither and wants us to move beyond it

c. God puts dreams and visions within us (Joel 2/Acts 2) – b/c he never intended that we live ordinary lives but EXTRAORDINARY b/c HE is living in us and HE is EXTRAORDINARY

I. The Interferences to Fulfilling Our Legacy

A. A Wrong View of Self

1. Too Low – “Grasshoppers” in Numbers 13.33

a. Some – Humility is thinking less of myself.

b. Actually, Humility is thinking of myself less.

2. Too High – “My Way” in Judges 21.25

3. Correct View – 1 Peter 2.9

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

B. A Wrong View of People

1. We can stop seeing people and see problems

2. Disciples at the feeding of the 5000 (All we have is five loaves and 2 fish)

3. [In a traffic jam do you see people who need Jesus or an interruption to your schedule?

• Have we forgotten there are people being sold into sex trafficking a few yards from this building on I-40 everyday?

• Have we forgotten the people addicted to drugs and alcohol that have lost faith and hope for their lives?

• Have we forgotten there is a world going to hell?

4. Easy to be judgmental and condemning

5. Easy to think people are in an adversarial relationship with God and we need to be on his side

6. How does Jesus see people?

• Luke 12.32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

• Jesus was Available; Sensitive; Helpful; and Creative in dealing with People

C. A Wrong View of God

1. Don’t Forget God’s Ability (Ephesians 3.20; Philippians 1.6)

2. The actions of God are not contained in a record book of what he ONCE did – he is still active in relationship to our faith. Matthew 13.58 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

3. Q: Do you believe God is able to do more than your wildest dreams? You are right either way.

4. Theme Passage to keep in mind: John 14.12-14

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.