In sports, preparation wins games. I think that was witnessed this past weekend. The New York Jets defeated the New England Patriots, much to the chagrin of all of New England. I think the Pats were the better team. They had the better coach, the better offense, the better if not the best quarterback, but they still lost the game. The Jets are not a pushover team or a surprise team. They were in the AFC championship last year and played well during the regular season. But the Patriots demolished them 45-3 in week 13 of the regular season. The Patriots were better, but for last Sunday's game the Jets had proper preparation. Rex Ryan designed the right defensive game plan to defeat the Patriots. His team prepared for that plan then they carried it out. Their preparation won them the game. Without that scheme and plan, I don't think the Jets would have won. Preparation wins games. I think that idea is true not just for sports. Preparation is important for our spiritual lives. E. M. Bounds wrote "preaching is not the performance of an hour. It is the outflow of a life. It takes twenty years to make a sermon, because it takes twenty years to make the man." And, "the real sermon is made in the closet. The man-God's man-is made in the closet." Bounds is essentially saying that preparation is necessary for our spiritual lives. Writing about preachers, Bounds calls them to be men of prayer. Prayer is the place of preparation. Bounds writes that "much time alone with God is the secret of knowing him and of influence with him." If we are to be real people who live on mission for Christ, we must spend time in preparation. Time in prayer knowing God, pleading with God, cherishing God. Too often I seek to do mission without proper preparation.
How much time do you spend preparing?
May we be people of preparation as we seek to live on mission!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Year, Same Mission
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
Each gospel reveals to us a different side of Jesus. They all convey many of the same events but with different emphases. Matthew quotes the most Old Testament scriptures to show us that Jesus is Messiah! He is the king of the Jews. Luke is an educated doctor who writes up an orderly account to show that what took place actually took place. He highlights Jesus interactions with those outside the Jewish faith, the Gentiles. He shows that Jesus brings salvation to the entire world. John focuses on Jesus relationship to the Father. He witnessed the events that took place and recorded signs that we may believe in Jesus. He stresses that Jesus is God in the flesh. Mark wrote an action packed gospel. Jesus is always on the move in the gospel of Mark. Mark directs us to see Jesus as the suffering servant sent by God. He came to be a crucified Savior.
As we enter 2011, we are a church on mission. God has established Londonderry Christian Church to be a people who serve others and share the good news. We are real people who love the real God in real relationships. In order to remain focused on the mission God has given us, we are going to be looking at the life of Jesus revealed in the gospel of Mark. We will follow Jesus, the Man on a Mission, as he seeks to live out the life of the suffering servant. My hope is that as we follow Jesus we will catch a fire for his mission to serve! He was a Man on a Mission may we be a People on a Mission!
Each gospel reveals to us a different side of Jesus. They all convey many of the same events but with different emphases. Matthew quotes the most Old Testament scriptures to show us that Jesus is Messiah! He is the king of the Jews. Luke is an educated doctor who writes up an orderly account to show that what took place actually took place. He highlights Jesus interactions with those outside the Jewish faith, the Gentiles. He shows that Jesus brings salvation to the entire world. John focuses on Jesus relationship to the Father. He witnessed the events that took place and recorded signs that we may believe in Jesus. He stresses that Jesus is God in the flesh. Mark wrote an action packed gospel. Jesus is always on the move in the gospel of Mark. Mark directs us to see Jesus as the suffering servant sent by God. He came to be a crucified Savior.
As we enter 2011, we are a church on mission. God has established Londonderry Christian Church to be a people who serve others and share the good news. We are real people who love the real God in real relationships. In order to remain focused on the mission God has given us, we are going to be looking at the life of Jesus revealed in the gospel of Mark. We will follow Jesus, the Man on a Mission, as he seeks to live out the life of the suffering servant. My hope is that as we follow Jesus we will catch a fire for his mission to serve! He was a Man on a Mission may we be a People on a Mission!
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