Believing for breakthrough Sun 31st Aug 03 am. Mark 1:14-20
What an absolute turnaround this passage is. Have to see it in context
- intertestamental period. 300 years of silence
then comes a great man of God. The greatest man of the OT era. JTB. Folks flock to hear him. ¡¥are you the one?¡¦
o then JTB imprisoned. Later beheaded.
o Time of disappointment
- Or consider it from Jesus¡¦ perspective
o Baptism¡K straight out into the desert for:
o Battle¡K.
But this passage is turnaround. It¡¦s breakthrough. The time is right, the factors are right
- and Jesus comes proclaiming and demonstrating the Kingdom of God
- and the explosion happens- of which WE are a part! 2000 years on
I want to encourage you, this morning, that ¡¥breakthrough¡¦ is possible
- in God¡¦s time
- if we are obedient in the basics
-stick at it through the battles¡K persevere (!!!)
According to His sovereignty God can bring a breakthrough, a ¡¥tipping point¡¦ (in any area of your life¡K work)
Now- the debate has always been ¡V
- how much of this do WE bring about¡K how much does God bring it about?
- How much are these ¡¥turning points¡¦ natural, sociological factors¡K how much are they spiritual factors
But the integrated person¡K the Bible, I believe¡K makes no such discrimination
- God is SO huge He is active in BOTH ways
o So we shouldn¡¦t be frightened of understanding the human, sociological factors that bring a change¡K awakening¡K ¡¥revival¡¦ if you like¡K in us, our area, work-place, nation
o Rather: Christians should know how to read the natural and pray into it. Pray SPIRITUAL change into it
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book ¡¥the tipping point¡¦ describes how breakthroughs happen.
- He doesn¡¦t describe them from a Christian perspective- but he IS describing spiritual principles that WE need to understand
- He describes 3 laws¡K all 3 of which are seen here
o Law of the few. Just a few people can bring tremendous change
o The stickiness factor. These few people have a message that sticks
o The power of context. The factors being right for law 1 & 2 to have impact
He uses the language of epidemics and viruses (sobig virus!) and applies it to marketing products.
- says ANYTHING can experience breakthrough
- ie- Hush puppies: remember them at school: Cornish pasties!
o Early 90s ¡¥wolverine¡¦ were considering dropping the whole line- but in 1 year experienced ¡¥breakthrough¡¦. Worn on some catwalk in NY and sales 4X 95-96. In 2 years in every shoe shop in USA
„X Example of contagious behaviour
Now listen. God is the God of this world. If this applies to shoes- how much more the gospel!
- not a human idea, but GOD¡¦S idea!
- the power of God for salvation to all who believe
- = what we¡K this world was made for!
God made these principles! We mustn¡¦t be frightened of letting Him use them
- Illustr: in this last year, photos of masks for SARS virus
- We¡¦re like those masked people! Gagged about the gospel! Need to get the masks of and start sharing it as we have SARS (salvation And Redemption Syndrome)
- Get the masks off start a gospel epidemic and be contagious people!
1) THE LAW OF THE FEW
There is nothing God cannot do with a suitable person
- all big changes, epidemics, are started by just a few
Here- Jesus comes on the scene. ONE person started all this.
- the greatest person who ever lived, of course¡K
¡K but also, at this stage, just 4 others: Simon/Andrew, James & john
What is notable is that Jesus chose them. He knew they were ¡¥movers and shakers¡¦
- custom was for disciples to attach themselves to rabbis
- Jesus says ¡¥come, follow me!¡¦
o Not, ¡¥come learn Torah¡¦
o People who follow Jesus can REALLY make things happen.
- ¡¥and I will make you to become fishers of men¡¦
o not a reflection on the past fruitlessness ¡V but on what they will become if the follow Him
A Christian submitted to God¡K praying¡K is a powerful thing
- He¡¦s always in a majority- because he¡¦s got God with him
Gladwell says: epidemics are always driven by a handful of exceptional people. People who are:
- CONNECTORS. Connected with people. Not isolated
o Jesus chose 4 fishermen right from the core of a fishing community.
„X This was not their first encounter. In Jn¡¦s gospel Andrew immediately connects with Simon peter and Philip with Nathaniel- and the numbers swell
o Are you connected with people? Want to start an epidemic? ¡V connect with your neighbourhood and workplace. Satan¡¦s strategy is to ISOLATE you
- INFORMED. Actually he uses the word ¡¥mavern¡¦, a Jewish word for ¡¥someone in the know. Somebody with a message.
o These guys KNEW what¡K who they had found. Jn ¡¥we have found the messiah¡¦
o Jesus- knew his task, message.
„X ¡¥the time has come. The KOG¡K God¡¦s rule breaking into your lives is HERE.
„X Repent (pres continuous) & believe it!!
o If you want to influence people for Jesus you must
„X Know what you believe
„X Be convinced of it!
- SALES PEOPLE
o Gladwell¡¦s 3rd characteristic of ¡¥the few¡¦ is they are SO convinced they sell it: have to be enthusiastic about it
Here¡¦s the problem! Are we enthusiastic about this message that changes people¡¦s lives and saves them?
- some of us are so negative if you put us in a dark room we¡¦d develop!
o ¡¥Tell me about your faith¡¦ ¡¥oh, do I HAVE to!¡¦
o listen: I know the Xian life is not a bed of roses ¡Vbut we can always be enthusiastic about JESUS!!
Jesus was all of these things.
- he connects with these folks in their workplace
- He knows what he¡¦s come to share, do
- He sells it.
By the HS the disciples became all of these things¡K and breakthrough happened. With just ¡¥a few good men¡¦
- breakthrough is not dependent on ¡¥the many¡¦- it¡¦s in the hands of God and ¡¥the few¡¦
o you may only be a few at work¡K in your old person¡¦s home. But you may be all it needs to ¡¥tip the balance¡¦
2) THE STICKINESS FACTOR
Gladwell describes how for an epidemic, breakthrough¡K there has to be just something in the message that sticks with people. Rings a bell. Meets a need.
- the right information under the right circumstances is just irresistible to people
Here it was- you¡¦ve been waiting for God¡¦s final rule to come. It¡¦s here! And here¡¦s the demonstration of it
- healing, freedom etc
I really don¡¦t believe the need is much different. True people have SO (TOO!?) much, nowadays, and don¡¦t really feel they need God
- but inside their hearts are breaking!
- inside they need helping, healing and saving just as much as ever
- do you see why I¡¦m not in a hurry to listen to those who say ¡¥don¡¦t pray for the sick or expect God to act. It¡¦s mainly intellectual¡¦
-
The problem is- the message is GOOD, but we don¡¦t communicate it in a ¡¥sticky¡¦ manner.
- we¡¦re still using
a) outdated techniques (crusades generally don¡¦t work)
b) outdated language. What we say is FOREIGN to the unchurched
Dear Grandson,
The other day I went up to our local Christian bookstore and saw a "honk if you love Jesus" bumper sticker. I was feeling particularly sassy that day because I had just come from a thrilling choir performance, followed by thunderous prayer meeting. So I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper.
Boy, I’m glad I did, what an uplifting experience that followed. I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, just lost in thought about the Lord and how good he is, and I didn’t notice that the light had changed. It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus because if he hadn’t honked, I’d never have noticed. I found that lots of people love Jesus!
Why, while I was sitting there, the guy behind started honking like crazy, and then he leaned out of his window and screamed, "For the love of God! Go! Go! Go! Jesus Christ Go!" What an exuberant cheerleader he was for Jesus! Everyone started honking! I just leaned out my window and I started waving and smiling at all those loving people. I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love! There must have been a man from Florida back there because I heard him yelling something about a "sunny beach". I saw another guy waving in a funny way.. with only his middle finger stuck up in the air. I asked my teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant. He said it was probably a Hawaiian good luck sign or something. Well, I’ve never met anyone from Hawaii, so I leaned out the window and gave him the good luck sign back. My grandson burst out laughing...why, even he was enjoying this religious experience! A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that they got out of their cars and started walking towards me. I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is when I noticed the light had changed. So, I waved at all my brothers and sisters grinning, and drove on through the intersection. I noticed I was the only car that got through the intersection before the light changed again and felt kind of sad that I had to leave them after all the love we had shared. So I slowed the car down, leaned out the window and gave them all the Hawaiian good luck sign one last time as I drove away.
Praise the Lord for such wonderful folks!!
Jesus speaks a language these fishermen understand¡K. Even though He was a carpenter. He talks ¡¥fish¡¦ to them
- friends: Alpha is the language of our day. It is a sociological/spiritual movement we¡K YOU¡K can use
o I¡¦m not looking for revival. I¡¦m looking for ¡¥the few¡¦. 3 people each term to come on Alpha. Your friends.
The message is the same and unchanging: Jesus IS the way, the truth and the life- but we package it differently to make it stick. Relevant.
- hence: the Edge. Outreach to old folks. Alpha
3) THE POWER OF CONTEXT
Epidemics are sensitive to the times and places in which they occur
- v small changes can make massive differences
o Illustr: temperature changes or ¡¥start of term¡¦ for viruses
o Atkins diets for meat sales!
This is all about context. The battle time is done. JTB is in prison. The waiting is over. The roman society has opened up the world to travel. The Greek language has united the ¡¥modern world¡¦
- v15 ¡§the time has come!¡¨ the ¡¥opportune moment¡¦ (kairos) (not ongoing passing of time, Chronos). The time is ¡¥ripe¡¦
o it¡¦s time for the ¡¥season of good news of God¡¦
God has a time for
- your life¡K. Us as a church¡K. Us as a nation
- though he tarries- wait for it. Be patient. Read the signs, seasons
There is a change of spiritual seasons, here- and OVERNIGHT the breakthrough happens
- (but the preparation and patience had been long!)
Are we at a point of breakthrough, nationally?
- I really don¡¦t know. Certainly 3000 are not asking ¡¥what must I do to be saved¡¦, as at Pentecost
But the point that I am making is that it CAN happen. And there are signs we must follow, use
- Shadowmancer. COULD have great impact. Film rights already brought
- Harry Potter has opened people up¡K for this
- Lion Witch and Wardrobe: According to a report in IMDb, Andrew Adamson, the director of "Shrek" is in the early stages of adapting the 53-year-old novel, the most popular of CS Lewis’ seven-part "Chronicles Of Narnia". He has enlisted the New Zealand special effects studio behind the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy to develop creature designs for the story
- Cameron Stout , a real Christian, won big brother- and notable that one of the girls had a Jesus loves you belt!
o Influence so quickly!
o Now: can buy WWJD bands in stacks of shops in Winchester
o It IS only froth- but USE IT. And it could be more
And, of course, I¡¦ve mentioned Alpha
- the most significant thing to come out of the Toronto blessing
Friends:
- we have a great God
- we have sticky message
- are you willing to be ¡¥one of the few¡¦?
Believe in the God of the breakthrough. Believe in breakthrough.
- in your life. For the kingdom of God
