How to read your Bible Part 4
Battling isolation and independence.
Wayne Duncan
After this preach check out these passages.
Eph 4:1-25 1 Cor 12 1 Cor 13 Rom 12:1-18 2 Tim 1
Any theology or mentality that a person develops from reading the bible, that's leads to thinking that gathering as believers is unimportant, or unnessary is deception.
The simple truth is that Father has always purposed that love, growth and maturity be worked out in a loving safe environment of a spirit filled family.
The simple truth is that when you are you to me, I am better off.
The simple truth is that when I am me to you, you are better off.
"The solution to abuse is not non use but correct use"…Rob Rufus.
This remains unshakable…
All we will even need is already inside of us. The fullness of Christ is already deposited in it's full measure within each of us. We are already co-seated with Christ in heavenly places. God had given us everything we need for life and for godliness. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is living and active and at work within each of us. When we became Christians God gave us a new nature, we became new creatures, the old died and the new became alive. That new me is complete and powerful. I can access His glorious presence at any moment, instantly. His power and love are always available. This is certain and unchangeable. It is finished there is nothing left for God to do.
So the question arises…why do we need each other?
Why do we need church?
Well perhaps we can answer the question by asking a few more questions…
Do you see the fullness of who you are, and who God has changed you into manifest in your everyday life? Do you see the dead raised on a regular basis? Do you experience signs wonders healings and miracles on a regular basis? Do you have a consistent joy? Do you live in perfect peace? Do salvations follow you? Are you the best dad you can be, are you the best mom you can be? Are you the best parent you can be? Do you get lonely, do you ever need help or friendship?
Is every person in your church or home group or ministry arena perfectly well in body, soul and mind?
So what's up? We are discovering who we are, what he has done , and what he wants done and then spreading that to others.
The big question. Can we achieve this in isolation? Can a person reach total maturity in Christ apart from others?
I believe it's dangerous ground when we think that we've arrived. When we look in the mirror and say "I am there, I've arrived".
When churches say…were there we've arrived! Trouble will follow. When individuals say, I don't need anyone else…they are in trouble! Pride comes before a fall, but God gives grace to the humble.
So as we grow, and develop who we are, as the revelation of what it means to be sons of God develops…God will use people.
How does God use other people?
Well before we get too spiritual here, God places people in our lives simply to be friends! People who simply love us care for us, and walk the road of life through thick and thin. Friends we can share our successes with, and laugh about our failures. Friends who cheer us up when we are down, and unexpectedly bring light to this journey called life.
When you break life down into it's bare essentials all life is, is…where you were, and who was there!
God uses people to grow us.
God has placed within each of us "uniqueness". There is something that you do better that anyone else in this room. Within each of us is a god given gift that can help another person realize who they are in Christ. You have something that will help me in my journey and possibly accelerate my growth experience. As we offer up these gifts, we grow eachother. As we surrender to each others god given gifts, we ourselves grow. If we deny ourselves this natural interchange of shared lives, we deny ourselves a great grace. God had graced each of us with wonderful abilities. As those gifts are let loose on eachother we accelerate growth in eachother.
Let me give you an example of this…
A year ago as a church we were plodding along, fairly contently…
We responded to a call from father to go to Honk Kong and learn how to transition a church into a higher degree of presence and anointing. We went, the result of being exposed to people with gifting was an instant and radical acceleration into the glory of God. Miracles increased, healings started, presence magnified and the church was changed forever.
In short, God used people with gifting to change this church. This is what he does. God uses people to effect change on the earth. He uses people to minister to eachother, and he gifts people through grace to change churches, which are simply gatherings of other people.
Now the truth of the matter is that all we have has always been available.
The message of grace. The anointing, the presence, the power, the glory, the signs and wonders, the prophetic, the open heavens…it was always there, it was always available. God used people, who:
1) Were prepared to share there lives and gifts with others..
2) Who had positioned themselves to grow in God, and from others
3) Changed the hungry.
Friends I have to clearly and simply state that I would not be where I am today without the glorious work of Jesus in me. That work includes in no small way, the Father using people!
I have friends who have stopped me from doing stupid things. I have friends and fathers who have encouraged and inspired me to go beyond myself. I have a wife who had caused me multiplied joy, and careful guidance.
Let me tell you why I believe in the theology of grace…
A friend of mine Gregg Booyens, loved me enough to pursue me in argument and deliberation for 8 months. He would challenge me with scripture after scripture. Eventually the lights began to come on. He gave me Robs teaching to listen to, I consulted other teachers…the end result. Friends and father changed me.
The love of a brother and friend, the gifting of a teacher, the anointing of the apostolic, a plable life all coming together in a glorious cocktail of change. The God of glory working his magic.
Positioning ourselves to receive from each other, to exchange the graces upon our lives, positions us for accelerated success.
I'm grateful for the people in my life who share this journey with me. Walking and learning and growing. I'm determined to have people in my life who will content with me and for me.
People prepared to stand and support my inheritance, people who will add fire to the calling on my life. I've determined too to live as one who will throw fire on the lives of others. I've determined to fan into flame the hope of those who position themselves for increase.
So I live with a hunger and a determination. I hunger for more of Him, more of His glory, more of His presence. And I'm determined to release the grace upon my life onto and into others.
As we read our bibles, we read through the lens of God uses people to help us know who we are, to release and grow revelation, to fan into flame what God has done to us and in us. Read through the lens that God wants who he has changed you into, to impact those around you, in the most meaningful way imaginable.
We were created to share our lives on this journey of Him loving us.
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