February 2005
Dakota Community Church
Moving On Up!
Introduction:
Like the Jefferson’s of the 70”s sitcom fame it is time for some of us, especially some of the youth to move on up in the Kingdom of God.
At some point in time each of us must make the decision to stop coming to church to be fed and to instead come prepared to feed others.
You may feel that you cannot make a difference, that you are to insignificant, that no one would want what you have to offer.
In fact that is a lie from the pit of hell.
Illustration:
I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise, to walk by the ocean’s edge and greet the new day.
As I moved through the morning dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion.
I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin.
As I approached, I realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night’s tide, stopping now and then to pick up starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea.
I asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back into the sea."
As the youth explained, I surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond eyesight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth’s plan became clear to me and I countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."
The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said,
"I made a difference to that ONE."
You have the power to make an eternal difference!
How?
1. Make the choice to grow up spiritually.
This is not something that happens with the passing of time!
Not Spiritually: I have met many very old baby Christians.
Not naturally: I have friends from hockey who still think the Jr. High drunken foolishness is cool stuff.
Hebrews 5: 8-14
Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Think about the stages of life.
(a.) Newborn
They are totally helpless, - They are cute, - They can say and do anything, - Every need is looked after (Instant Prayer answers).
(b.) Infant or childhood.
They start to learn the basics, - They feed themselves with help, - They potty train (Clean own messes), - Tie shoes and other basic necessities.
(c.) The teen years.
They gradually become responsible for themselves, - They get a job, find a purpose, - They begin to earn authority like driving the car; they start to make small contributions to the family, pay board.
(d.) Adulthood.
They take on responsibility for others, - they reproduce.
In this stage you cannot expect to be treated like you were in the younger stages.
My Dad no longer gets excited when I tie my shoes, it is just expected behavior.
Have you noticed that no one gets excited when you attend Church regularly, if you miss a service there is no great concern – You are an adult Christian – it is like tying your shoes, just expected behavior.
The mature focus on others not themselves!
2. Make God your only source.
This is not some silly cliché.
People fail to progress in their walks with God when they depend on sources other than Him for their fulfillment in life.
- A husband or wife can not satisfy all your needs.
- A ministry job cannot do it.
- Children and family activity cannot do it.
- A new house, car, furniture boat, cottage or vacation cannot do it.
Only God can do it.
Quote:
He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone. - C.S. Lewis
John 4: 31-34
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My food,” said Jesus “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Jesus’ joy came from doing the will of God and so will yours. How did He know that will?
He walked in relationship – only doing and saying what the Father did and said.
John 5: 16-21
So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
Illustration:
I can remember two separate mornings in my life, when I woke up early because I couldn’t breathe.
When I woke, my lungs had stopped breathing and I realized they weren’t taking commands from my brain. So I darted out of bed, standing in the middle of the room with my mouth wide open, prompting my lungs to breathe in air, and finally, they opened up again and after a few moments I was breathing normally again. Those two moments without breath were terrifying experiences and I never have found out why that happened, but I do have a new appreciation for life, and breath.
When we sing the song, ‘Breathe’ and I hear, “This is the air I breathe. Your very presence living in me… And I’m desperate for you”, it reminds me of my full dependence on God for every breath I breath. It evokes all the emotions of gratitude and passion that I have for the Lord and reminds me of the barrenness of an existence without Him. I’m humbled and honored by God when I’m reminded of all these things…
3. Get the fire burning.
I am talking about stirring yourself up!
Moving on to leadership or to maturity means becoming passionate.
Jesus was a man of passion and so must we be.
Nobody wants to follow a depressed negative whiner!
2Timothy 1: 6-7
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline.
Luke 12: 49-51
“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
Jesus was a man on fire, He was distressed over bringing the shake up He was about to accomplish.
People who lack passion do not accomplish great things.
My professional hockey career ended before it began (When I was 10 years old.) because I lacked the passion, I did not have the killer instinct.
People want to put their lives into a mission that matters!
Acts 7: 51-60
“You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him– you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”
When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
It does not matter that some people do not agree with what we are doing.
Quote:
“If you want to lead the Orchestra, you have to turn your back on the crowd.”
