Serving Leftover Actions

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 NIV)

The Church spends so much time focusing on the fact that we are saved by God's Grace, which we are, that we can "downplay" good works as being necessary too.  Rather than call good actions necessary, we refer to them as "good," "important," or something to "work toward."  We will quote passages like the one in James that says, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."  (James 2:17 NIV)  While this is true, it's still not a strong enough statement.  Being Holy is a command, a mandate, and is necessary.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. (1 Peter 1:14-17 NIV)

And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." (Luke 14:27-35 NIV)

The conclusion is clear.  Leftover words are not good enough.  Leftover actions won't get it done.  God should be first in all things.  Count the cost.  Consider what He wants.  Put Him first.  Serve Him first.  Leave the leftovers for someone else.

Serving Leftover Words

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIV)

Our words are powerful.  How we use them reflects who we follow.  Declaring "Jesus is Lord" does not stop at the moment we voice those three words.  In fact, our success in declaring Jesus as Lord is determined by every word we speak.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:9-10 NIV)

We show just how much Jesus is our Lord by our words.  How do you use your words?  Are they used to encourage people and build them up?  Are your words a gift to those who hear (or read) them?  Do you purposefully choose your words to Glorify God and build people up?  Do you use your words to share God with others?

"Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33 NASB)

You see, confessing Jesus to other people is only a good thing if the rest of our words are a blessing.  Inviting someone to Church or to follow Jesus will only confuse them if you just got done cussing them out.  All our words are to be under the Lordship of Christ.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. (Hebrews 13:15 NIV)

Lukewarm Sharing

Then Jesus came to them and said, 
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. 
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." 
(Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

The toughest part about this "lukewarm" discussion is that most of it centers around our personal holiness.  While that's all well and good, that is only the precursor to what Jesus want's us to accomplish.

He didn't command us to go into all the world and avoid sexual immorality.  He didn't command us to go into all the world and make people tithe.  He commanded us to go make disciples of all nations - fully devoted, teaching-following disciples.  Our Commander and Chief told us to bring people to Him, baptize them in Him, and teach them to obey Him.  Those are our marching orders.

I grow weary watching how our society has convinced believers that they "can't" discuss God or religion in our schools, our workplaces, or, for that matter, in polite company.  It simply isn't done.  At the same time, we forget that we can't not discuss it.  We've been told to discuss it.  We've been commanded to discuss it.  We are given the mission to discuss it.

As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:16-17 NIV)

The woman at the well brought streams of people out to hear Jesus.  Matthew (Levi) threw a party so his "sinner" friends would meet Jesus.  We are implored by God to share with our spouse, children, parents, friends, neighbors, and enemies.  Sharing God is not an option.  It's not for the "mature" Christian.  It's for all of us.  No holding back.

You Might Not Be Here

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:13-14 NIV)

It's difficult to think about it, but you might not be here tomorrow.  Yesterday's services, "You might not finish this service," reminded us that our lives are fleeting and may not last past the hour.  If you knew your life wasn't going to last past the hour, the day, or the week; would it change how you spent that time?

I had a friend who would remind me on a regular basis that, "Life is priority.  Life is perspective."  Would your priorities change if you knew you were not going to live past the hour?  How would they change?  How would you use the time?

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:15-16 NIV)

Life is a gift.  Our time is intended to be a stewardship, a temporary residence, and an opportunity to bring God's Kingdom here.  When we get "there," nothing else that we do will matter.  The amount of money we make, the things that we buy, and the places we've seen all will disappear.  We can't take any of it with us.  The only thing we leave behind is our legacy.

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17 NIV)

What will your legacy look like?  Are you building a legacy that honors God and brings more people to Him?  When it outlasts you, will God smile?  Will you look "down" from heaven and smile, too?

Why Today?

Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (James 4:13-17 NLT)

I'm not sure the reason, but I've been having the same kind of discussion over and over again lately.  It usually takes place on a Sunday morning when someone attended church services who hasn't attended in a little while.  Maybe they've missed a couple weeks - maybe a couple months or years.

The conversations all seem to have the same components in them.  First, they find me to "touch base" after being gone a little while.  Then they tell me what an impact God made on them that day.  (I'm always glad to hear His Spirit was working in people during service.)  It's at this point that they seem to come to a self-realization.  "Every time I come here I wonder why I waited so long...why I don't come every week."  Clearly they are feeling some kind of conviction about their attendance - that God want's to meet with them more in this way.

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (Hebrews 3:12-13 NLT)

This week I also had conversations giving me gentle reminders that I had not been blogging the last week or so.  During our "Builders" time on Sunday afternoon, we asked one another an accountability questions about reading Scripture:  "How often were you in The Word this week?  Is that the amount God want's you in Scripture?  What, if anything, are you going to change in this area?"

Being transparent, I had to admit that God was convicting me in this area.  I've been keeping up with my Bible reading plan, but not by reading every day.  I was letting several days "back up" and then reading all those days at once (like I did today).  I keep up with the reading, but I'm not in Scripture each day.  Now, I know that God doesn't command that we be in His Word each day, just like I know He doesn't command attendance at church services each week.  But, just like my friends, I find myself convicted anyway.

I think the reason for my conviction is that God teaches so many times about the importance of "today."  We're reminded that today will bring it's own troubles, challenges, and opportunities to minister to people.  Today will be different from any other "today" we have experienced or will experience.  Today was given to me as a gift, and I should live that gift today.  

God wants to walk with me today.

So, I've read His Word today.  I'm talking with Him (still) today.  I'm writing down what He has convicted me to say today.  Now, I will go about my day today for as long as He gives me today.  When "today" stops for me here, we will be able to look back and see what a difference "today" made.

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. (Hebrews 3:14 NLT)