Why Do Christians Fail To Live A Powerful Missional Life?

Here is a Biblical reason why many Christians don't live powerful missional lives. Watch it and evaluate yourself.

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DOES THE THOUGHT OF TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS MAKE YOU NERVOUS?

If you answered "yes" to that question then you are not alone! Many Christians all over feel the exact same way.  However, I got some good news for you!  I too once felt that way.  Watch this video and see what you think.

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MISSIONAL LIVING MEANS YOUR ARE TAKING A WALK OF FAITH!: How Strong Is Your Walk

In the 19th century there was a great English pastor by the name of George Mueller. Pastor Mueller had become concerned that God's people had become discouraged and no longer expected God to do anything amazing.  In Pastor Mueller's assessment people no longer believed that God could or would answer prayers.  In other words, the Ordinary Christians of his time had very little faith in God and that lack of faith was expressed in how they lived their everyday lives.

About that time God began to do a work in George's life to start praying like he had never prayed before.  George's prayers were to ask God to assign him to a ministry that could only be done and explained by the Christians of his time as an act of God.  George wanted Christians to learn and believe that their God still heard their prayers and would be faithful to answer them, if they would just pray in faith and that faith only needed to be the size of a mustard seed.

God led Pastor Mueller to a particular Bible verse that he held onto for the rest of his life and in which he would place his trust God.  That Bible passage was:

"Open wide your mouth and I will fill it."  

Psalm 81:10

George believed that God was giving him a promise through that verse that He, God, and God alone would be the one to meet his needs and the needs of the ministry that God would assign him to do.  From that verse Pastor Mueller was led by God to a walk in faith which became a powerful example and testimony to everyone watching.  When George felt led by God to do some particular ministry, he would pray to God alone for the resources needed and told no one else of the need.

George wanted all to know that God had provided for the needs of the ministry through the answers of prayers of faith.  

Here are some of the things that God did through George Mueller during that "Walk of Faith" time of his ministry:

• The Scriptural Knowledge Institute for distributing of scripture and for religious education was started.
• He established 4 orphanages houses that cared for 2,000 children at a time. Over 10,000 children had been provided for through those orphanages.
• He distributed over 8 million dollars that had been given to him in answer to prayer.  When he died at the age of 93, his personal worldly possessions were valued at only $800.00.

An important note here for us to emphasis here is that Pastor George Mueller "NEVER" asked anyone for any of the money that was given to him.

The Only Person That Rev. George Mueller Ever Asked For Help Was

GOD!

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

Question #1:  How strong is your faith in God?

Question #2: Do you believe that God still answers our prayers?

Question #3: What ministry are you doing, as an act of faith, that God has led you to do?

Question #4: What will you do as an act of faith today?

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THE WHAT NOT TO DO FOR MISSIONAL LIVING: Part 1

Did you know that Jesus has just as much to say about what "not to do" and he does about "what to do"?  Powerful missional living is always about knowing what things to pursue and knowing what things to avoid!

By its very nature life needs to be lived in the pursuit of an object or goal. If not, life tends to wanter aimlessly, much like a ship without a rudder.   But having the correct objective/goal to pursue is as equally important, otherwise you might find out to late that what you were chasing after was the wrong thing.  Jesus had a lot to say about living a missional life and living it with the proper objective.  Jesus' desire was that we would live such powerful missional lives that it would bring would us meaning and fulfillment.

In this blog we are going to look at one of those things that Jesus said "NOT TO DO".  Here, on the sermon on the mount, Jesus begins to give a list of things we are to avoid and not do.  Avoiding these things will aid us in our ability to shine the Light of Christ brightly in our part of this spiritually dark world. Today, we are only going to look at one of the "What Not To Do's" but as we go through each of them you might begin to experience tension to what Jesus actually says and to we practice in our normal Christian life.

Here's a good place to give us this reminder:  

Jesus Hasn't Called Us To Live A Normal Christian Life.  

Christ Has Called Us To Live A Missional Life That Has A Totally Different Value Set.  

With that in mind let's get started!

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"  

Matthew 6:19-22

I.  DON'T STORE UP TREASURES HERE ON EARTH!

Back in Bible times the sources of wealth for people was land, produce and cattle. The more land you owned, the more produce you grew, and the more cattle your raised would position you to become a wealthy person.  But today the source of wealth for people is property, investments and businesses.

Here Jesus gives a command not to store up these kinds of things your life's goal and objective.  Now that just might be a bitter pill for you to swallow.  Think for just a moment about how much of your life is centered around obtaining these things!  Isn't that exactly the focus we are told to have if we are going to make it in this world?  

Look at what Jesus actually says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth ..."  He didn't say, "I highly recommend you not to ..." or "Don't spend to much time storing up treasures on earth ...".  No. Jesus said, 

"DON'T DO IT!"  

The "storing up" of worldly riches, according to Jesus, isn't suppose to be even a consideration for God's people and certainly can't be for those who sincerely desire to live a missional life and join Christ where he is leading.

II.  OUR FIRST REACTION TO HEARING THIS COMMAND IS USUALLY:" WHY?"

Why can't we store up our riches? Shouldn't that be the aim and goal of every person in life?  Why is it so bad? Doesn't God want me to accumulate nice things? Doesn't having worldly riches make me more of an asset for doing God's mission?  

Oh, how the questions just keep coming!  We have been so conditioned and trained to believe that the accumulation of wealth is not only a good thing but a responsible thing. Society has taught us that if we are going to be good and productive citizens of society we need to become self-sufficient through the gathering of worldly wealth.  

But let's answer the question. Why should we gather up and store up worldly wealth? Why would Jesus instruct us not to do it?  And the answer is:  Because they are temporary and will not last. Jesus warns us that worldly riches can be stolen or destroyed and for sure we won't take any of it with us when we die!  It just isn't going to happen.  And on the Last Day, Judgement Day, all of the earth including its wealth will be destroyed by fire in God's righteous judgement.  There are only three things that can happen to worldly wealth. It either:

• Wears Out!
• Runs Out!
• or Gets Stolen!

In other words, the gathering up and storing up of worldly riches is a useless goal or objective from an eternal perspective.

III.  JESUS THEN GIVES AN ALTERNATIVE!

In verse 20 Jesus says that instead of storing up treasures on earth we should store up treasures in Heaven.  The reason for it is because storing up treasures in heaven has the exact opposite effect of storing up treasures on earth.  Instead, of the treasure running out, wearing out or getting stolen;  treasures in heaven can never be stolen,  never run out and never wear out.  IT WILL LAST FOREVER!

IV.  HOW DOES ONE STORE UP TREASURE IN HEAVEN?

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief 

comes near and no moth destroys" Luke 12:32,33

The way we a to store up treasures in heaven is through our generosity to those in need around us.  The wealth that God has provided you to have in this world is not for you to store up and hoard for yourself but for you to share with who are in need.  God wants you to use your earthly resources to help and benefit those genuinely need help.  God has given it to us for us to be a blessing to others.

Take a quick look at the parable in Luke 12:23-21:

"Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

I really like the question that is posed at the end, " ... and now who will own what you have prepared?"  It's like Jesus is hammering in the point ... "you were given your worldly riches to be a blessing to those who are in need but if you refuse to use it for that purpose you will be removed from it and someone else will get it to use it the way I intended it to be used.  

When we begin to view missional living to involve everything about us, including our wealth, we begin to see that God is going to hold us accountable for all of the things that he has blessed us with and how we used it to be a blessing to others and if we used it in such a way that God gets the glory.  

On a final note in this passage of scripture Jesus is teaching us that our goal/objective to pursue in missional living is not the "Storing Up Worldly Treasures" but instead the "Storing Up Treasure in Heaven By Using Our Worldly Means To Help Those In Need." 

GOD HAS GIVEN US THINGS 

NOT SO WE WOULD HOARD IT

BUT IN ORDER TO SHARE IT!

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HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOUR COMMUNITY IS READY TO COME TO JESUS?

   

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Matthew 9:35-38

3 Descriptions For A Communities Readiness 

To Come To Jesus!

In this verse Jesus give 3 descriptions on how to assess your communities readiness:

1.  Harassed:

Another word that can be used here is weary.  Life can get demanding. We experience demands from our jobs, our families, our friends and just society in general.  School can become overly demanding.  For many it seems like they are being screamed at from every corner of their life and there is not place of refuge.

2.  Helpless:

You can also use the phrase "Worn out. In your community do you know of people who are so tired and exhausted with life that they are about ready to try anything to have a change in life.  Sometimes, it's because they're over worked and underpaid. In other cases, it's just that there's more month at the end of the check.

3. Like sheep without a shepherd:

This gives the impression of just aimlessly wandering about without any real direction.  Do you know people who are just going through the motions of life but it seems like they just keep going around in circles?

IF SO, THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE YOUR 

COMMUNITY ISREADY FOR JESUS!

I hope this post has been helpful for you in your missional life!

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DON'T ALLOW DISTRACTIONS KEEP YOU FROM MISSIONAL LIVING

The enemy of the "Best" is not usually the "Worst". The enemy of the "Best" are the "Good" things that we get involved in!  For most of us it's not the bad things in the world or the worst things in the world that keep us focused and pursuing the "Best" things of God.  Usually, it is the good things that distract us from the best things like living a powerful missional life.

Watch this weeks Missional Living Devotional and take some time to meditate on how you have allowed good things keep you from joining God on His mission!

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MISSIONAL LIVING CAN'T BE FAKED! IT'S EITHER REAL OR IT'S NOT!

Watch this weeks Missional Living Devotional to learn about the need for sincerity when it comes to shining the Light of Christ in your part of this dark world.  Once you've watched the video take a few moments and honestly evaluate yourself to see if much of what you've been doing in the name of "Missioinal Living" is more of a show than it is a reality.





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WE FOLLOW JESUS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE BUT AFTER WE FOLLOW CHRIST WE REALLY BEGIN TO BELIEVE!

To become a Follower of Christ requires a certain level of faith to begin the journey. But as we start following and experiencing both the power and presence of Christ we really begin to become a believer.  Watch this video and be both empowered and encouraged to live a powerful missional life.



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Missional Principle: GO WHERE JESUS IS GOING!

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DON'T ALLOW:

• FEAR
• DISCOURAGEMENT
• INTIMIDATION 

KEEP YOU FROM LIVING A POWERFUL 

MISSIONAL LIFE!

As A Follower Of Christ We've Been Called To Shine The Light Of Christ Into Our Part Of This Dark World By Doing Good Deeds & Telling The Good News! 

BUT IN ORDER TO DO IT EFFECTIVELY

WE NEED TO RECEIVE REGULAR ENCOURAGEMENT!

Now you can receive that encouragement by subscribing to MISSIONAL DEVOTIONALS!  Missional Devotionals are weekly devotionals in a video format that are emailed out to empower, encourage and equip Ordinary Christians to live powerful missional lives where the Light of Christ shines through them and into their part of this dark world.  They are 4 to 6 minutes in length and are designed to help people to focus their week to join Christ on His mission.

Take A Few Minutes To Watch This Video To See Why I'm So Passionate About Encouraging Christians To Be On Mission With Christ:

 

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ARE YOU PURSUING THE RIGHT MISSION?

That's an interesting question but an important question especially for those who are Followers of Christ!  Are you pursuing the right mission? Are you pursuing Christ's mission? Do you even understand what the mission is? If you can't answer these questions then how do you know that you are being obedient to what our Lord Jesus has left us here to do?

Here Are Some People Idea's Of What The Mission Is:

• Some feel that the Christian's mission is just to do good deeds!
• Some feel it is to invite people to come to church with them!
• Some people think it's just to live a good and moral life!

Now while each of these things have a place in a Christians life are they in and of themselves or combined together make up what Christ's mission that each of us should be pursuing?

Let's take a few moments and look at what the Bible says about this very important subject.  In Matthew 28:16-20 we find a part in the Bible come to be known as the Great Commission.  The reason why it is called Great Commission is because it describes most clearly what the Christ's mission is.  Read with a clear mind what the words of Christ actually says:

"All authority in Heaven and on earth have given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And low I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   

From this verse we learn that there is really only one mission!  That mission is to "Go Make Disciple".  That phrase is the only part that is written in the imperative mood thereby, making it a command.  The baptizing and teaching for obedience is only to support and help bring about the command of making disciples.

THE MISSION IS TO MAKE MORE DISCIPLES FOR CHRIST!

We can discuss more extensively in a different post on what exactly is a disciple buut for the purpose of this post let's just say that a disciple is a FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.  Not a halfhearted follower of Christ and not a Sunday only follower of Christ but a Fully Devoted Follower!

Here's how two of the guys I mentored define a Disciple of Christ:

• Ed Villareal says "They are Hard Core Followers of Christ."  
• Larry Munguia says, "They Are Jesus Freaks"

Though we use different phrase all three of us are basically saying that Jesus' Disciples are people who love Him more than they love anyone or anything else and they are crazy for Him.

Now is that the mission you've been pursuing?  You can't make disciples for Christ like that unless you are like that! Helping others become disciples is more caught than taught!  It's infectious!  In order for you to help someone become fully devoted to Christ, you have to be fully devoted to Christ.  That's just the way it works!  You can't teach it in a classroom. You infect others with it because you are infected with it.

If you are just trying to get people to attend a church service with you or just doing good things for people but not helping people fall desperately in love with Jesus and fully committed to Him, you're pursuing the wrong mission.  So I want to end with the same admonishment as that of Jesus.

GO MAKE DISCIPLES FOR JESUS!

MAKE FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS!

HELP PEOPLE BECOME HARD CORE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST!

MAKE IT YOUR MISSION TO RAISE UP A MOB OF JESUS FREAKS!

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