DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY: MINDSET
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
The following is written from notes taken and thoughts
provoked during Pastor Paul Marine’s Sunday sermon.
1Corinthians [NLT] 3:1-11 Dear
brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to
spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as
though you were infants in the Christian life. … one of you says, “I am a
follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just
like people of the world? 5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only
God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work
the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it,
but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or
who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The
one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And
both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers.
And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. 10 Because of God’s grace to
me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building
on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For
no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
1Timothy [NLT] 2:23-24 Again I [Apostle
Paul] say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start
fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone,
be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct
those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and
they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape
from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he
wants.
The followers of
Christ at Corinth were a distracted bunch. Local assemblies and individual
Christians today can be distracted at times; sinful thinking involving personal
issues, congregational factions, arguments from unbelievers and/or Christian brethren,
judgment or lack thereof, reliance on methodology and programs, et al divert proper
focus at times.
Evangelism is for
many an area of avoidance. Though job given by Christ’ example and command, add
personal and congregational distractions and evangelism is not done. But is it
simply a matter of disobedience, non-compliance to His modeling and Mark 16:15 order
given? Or is it result of improper mindset, not seeing present and eternal reality?
We must Romans
12:1-3 immerse ourselves in Word and deed beyond going-to-heaven-when-I-die mindset.
Stop, envision the reality of John 3:18 “He who believes on Him is not
condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not
believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” Picture people you know
and love . . . lost apart from the only Redeemer, forever suffering eternal
separation from God.
When is the last
time we cared more for lost souls than our lawn or garden, favorite sports
team, hobby, job, politics, patriotism, family?
This week’s
challenge: 1. Pray with someone as opposed to praying for people.
2.
Begin working on evangelism as a natural conversation as opposed to
preachiness. (To the grammar Nazis: Yes, I know there is no such word in dictionary.
There is however the practice.)
3.
As opportunities arise, share personally meaningful Bible verses with others.
EBB4
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