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.
II. The Faith to Fulfill Our Legacy – 2 Kings 3
• Israel; Judah; and Edom went to war with Moab – at first thought their political alliance was enough but soon found out they needed God when they ran out of water 3.9-11
• Have you ever felt like God has let us down?
• Elisha responds because of the King of Judah
A. Faith Begins in the Presence of God – 3.15
15 Now bring me someone who can play the harp.” While the harp was being played, the power of the LORD came upon Elisha,
1. Elisha prayed to God with background music
2. Setting a spiritual environment is helpful to us – Focus changes from us to God; Christian music; daily bible reading (One Year Bible)
B. Faith Proceeds from Inspiration to Participation – 3.16 (NASB) – Dig trenches
16 He said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Make this valley full of trenches.’
1. Rarely does God act without our participation (raising the dead)
2. Usually we must cooperate – Naaman in 2 Kings 5; Discipleship – Matthew 28.18-20; blind man washing; feeding 5000. . .
C. Faith Progresses Regardless of What is Seen
2 Kings 3.17-19 (NASB)
17 For thus says the LORD, ‘You shall not see wind nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, both you and your cattle and your beasts. 18 This is but a slight thing in the sight of the LORD; He will also give the Moabites into your hand. 19 Then you shall strike every fortified city and every choice city, and fell every good tree and stop all springs of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones.’”
1. We want signs – Rain vs. Dew
2. Discouraged? Years of prayer and nothing – keep digging the trenches by faith
1. Challenge – To live above “status quo.” Are you tired of boring, predictable “church as usual”? If we allow God to have free rein in our lives we will experience the most exciting, fulfilling lives imaginable. (John 10.10)
• This requires faith – it makes us a life-filled church; a Spirit-filled people reflecting the glory of God
• The tension of the Bucket List is to determine what you can do and what is beyond you, that only God can do – you can drive to all of the Major league baseball parks in the US; but what about building a GREAT church for God? We need help!
2. The way we can leave a Lasting Legacy is by seeing the unseen
3. Song: “There is None Like You”
