Game Of Thrones - Pt. 4 - The Whole Pie! Series

Game of Thrones

Pt. 4 - The Whole Pie

Introduction

After 1 year we have finally come to the final battle in the attack on the 5 principalities that I identified for us. We have fought isolation, poverty, hopelessness and apathy. Now we square off against compartmentalism.

Compartmentalism is pervasive in our society and apparent in the church. We are literally playing a game of thrones.

I think we come to church and talk, sing, and even pray using the language of the Kingdom . . . Words like Lord, King, sovereign, and Jesus positions Himself to sit down on the throne of not just our church life but rather our entire life and then when He tries to rule over those areas we pull the chair our from under Him. We play a game of thrones. We only allow Him to sit on the throne in areas we choose based on whether we like the blessing and protection that comes from allowing Him to reign. If He tries to offer correction, then we pull the chair.

We have talked about the fact that we struggle from mixture. Good ground mixed with rocky and thorny ground. James implored that this double mindedness or double souledness must come to a stop. It is a daily and constant battle to get rid of the mixture so that it doesn't pollute our well and give place to prevailing and pervading evil.

I am convinced that the only way to accomplish this is to refuse to slice our life up. We have talked about this some. We honestly believe we can cut our lives up into carefully controlled slices and that those slices can stay in their respective areas with no bleed over. Our spiritual slice has no bearing on our social slice so we can do things socially that contradict the standards that we embrace in our spiritual life with no guilt or any understanding of the hypocrisy this presents to those around us. We can lie when it is convenient. Cheat when it benefits us. The spiritual is a segmented slice that has no impact on business practices, entertainment choices, dating, or vice versa. Our spirit man is confined to spiritual matters and we will not allow the Spirit to have any rule or reign over any other area of life.

The only way to do that is to gain a new perspective on life. We must look at the whole pie! Giving everything over to Jesus.

TEXT: Ephesians 6:6-8

Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free.

And then again in:

Colossians 3:17

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Immediately following this passage Paul then goes into that famous section of how husbands are supposed to treat their wife and how wife is supposed to treat husband. He instructs children to obey parents. Then he deals with how a slave is supposed to deal with his master. Then he says this . . .

Colossians 3:25

Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.

What we are being called to is a complete and total integration of Jesus' authority and dominion into every area of life. Another way to articulate this to fit how we tend to think is Paul is demanding a crossroads or intersection of church and life.

Our perspective seems to be that it isn't spiritual unless it is church. Church = Spiritual.

Paul understood that there is no separation . . . everything we do we do as unto the Lord. In other words . . . everything we do is spiritual.

So, the correct equation is Life = Spiritual.

You are involved in the spiritual at every moment. Every minute. Every second. Everywhere.

Our issue is that we have allowed the structure and the hierarchy of gifting in the church to convince us that ministry is reserved for a select few. So, we have this perspective that ministry is a job rather than gaining the understanding or perspective that every job is a ministry. Or better yet . . . Life is ministry.

We have got to gain a new perspective and rip away the dividing lines. I am not talking about blurring the lines. I am talking about completely removing them.