Journeys Pt 6 – The Legacy

Since arriving at SBC about 22 months ago, Julie and I have been sharing the journey with those around us.  Last September we encountered the concept of Outward Focused Congregations (OFCs) and it seemed at first to many of us to be a change of direction.  After some time to reflect and pray it is clear, however, that it is not a change of direction for SBC, just a different emphasis and set of priorities.  It provides us with a chance to leave a legacy.

A couple of months ago, Rich Webb came to our Journeys course at college and the students were amazed at his story, especially the idea that he was willing to give up the potential of a 6 figure salary in banking to serve God.  Rich explained it that, yes he could have earned a lot of money and left an inheritance but by faithfully serving God he would have the chance to leave a legacy.

We, as a church, have a chance to leave a legacy as we journey together.  What will that legacy be?

It won’t be that we are a church that praises God with passion and a loud voice, important though that is.  It won’t be the use of technology, or the love we have within the fellowship, or the ministries we run; important though all of these are.

Our legacy will not even be OFC’s even though it is the way we will reach people and grow as a church.

Our legacy will be the relevance we become to our community by the lives we help to change in reaching the lost, giving to the poor, feeding the hungry, healing the sick and extending the Kingdom of God to those around us.  This cannot be achieved unless we are fully compliant with the Spirit and the Father’s Will, which is for us to follow Jesus in everything we do.

Stop and stand back

It is very easy in the busyness of life to allow ourselves to get caught up in the activity and detail of everything around us.  Of course that is not a bad thing in itself.  The problems comes, however, when we 'mistake the edge of our rut, for the horizon', when we begin to lose sight of the bigger picture.

The whole of scripture points to life having rhythm.  Whether it is the pattern of work and rest in the creation account, or the expression of 'seasons' of life in Ecclesiastes, God's desire is for there to be variation in our life.  Just as we to push ahead with determination to pursue God's purpose for our lives, so also we need to stop and stand back.  I believe that such times are essential for us to regain sight of the bigger picture.  It doesn't so much matter when we do it, or even how we do it, but I believe we must do it.

In these times of stopping and standing back I believe there are some important things to reflect on:

• What has God been doing in my life?
• What is God doing in my life right now?
• What might God want to do in my life in the future?
• What is God doing elsewhere?

Taking time to consider these questions will broaden our horizons and enable a rich picture of God's activity in our world to form.  We will find the Kingdom, where before it was not apparent  and sense God's hand in places that previously appeared isolated.  It is often said that we can only live our lives looking forward, but only understand them looking back.

When and where will you stop and stand back?  You might think you can't afford the time, but I wonder whether you can afford not to.  Perhaps you will discover something that could change everything!

Rich Webb

Renewing Covenant

Often people spend a lot of time looking at the covenants God has made with us, his children. However, sometimes we fail to remind ourselves of the covenant we have made to God as well.

When you become a Christ follower you enter a covenant of allowing Him to be the Lord of all our days, until the end, and we promised to submit to His ways.
In reality and if we are honest, this is not always easy. We seperate our lives in to sections and give God what we don't want, or we hide an area of our lives from him.

I recently read this prayer by John Wesley in my devotions, and it has really challenged me to daily submit myself to Him, and to renew the covenant I faithfully and wholeheartedly made.

"I am no longer my own, but Thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee, exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal"

Perhaps today you need to commit to God and allow him to be Lord of your life! Wonderful news if that is you! But also just maybe you need to renew your commitment to God today, and perhaps the heavens rejoice in that moment also?

Live everyday for him!

God bless

Tom MacDonald
Student Pastor

Don't pick up the baggage!

It’s fastapproaching that time of year again when many of us will be jetting off todestinations all around the world to enjoy a well earned break. If that’s you,I really hope you have great time and that you come back refreshed and readyfor any challenges that may lie ahead for you.

I often find theactual getting there to be quite stressful! Ensuring you get to the airport ontime, getting the car parked in the right place, getting to the check in deskon time and getting to the right gate for your flight can often seem reallyhard work. I have to say though, the holiday feels it’s really begun when youget checked in and most importantly you get to drop your baggage off. You turnaway from the check in desk and that’s it – just the plane to get on and then aperiod of fun and relaxation. Of course, it does get a little bit stressfulagain when you’re waiting to pick up your baggage at the other end – there’salways the fear that your baggage won’t have made the plane and that you’llspend the first few days of your holiday with nothing to wear! Thankfully, forthe bulk of us, it’s not a problem and our baggage is ready to collect when itcomes round the belt in baggage reclaim.

I believe that whenwe come in to relationship with God, a similar thing can occur. God wants us tocheck in our baggage at the start of the journey that may have weighed down ourlives up until this point. He wants us to handover the things that may haveblighted our lives previously in order that we can live our lives in freedomwith him. Living freely is one of the most amazing things that can beexperienced but sadly for many people, they do not allow it to last. Theproblem is that on too many occasions, we head for baggage reclaim when we haveabsolutely no need to do so! Contrary to when we go on holiday, when we checkin with God, we check in our baggage as we should do but then we should neverfeel we have to pick it up again. With God, we live in complete freedom andnothing that we have handed over to him should ever be picked up again! All ourstrength and courage is found in him alone.

Living in Freedomis available to any one of us who wants it. We just need to hand everythingover to God and allow him to take control. Why not come along to SBC thisSunday at 10am and find out more about Living in Freedom?

 

Journeys Pt 5

John Newton (1725-1807) was a journeyman who travelled theworld visiting places that few of us will ever see.  He also had a remarkable career.

As a young man John was, by his own admission, not a nice manto know.  He was brutal, tough, a heavydrinker, womaniser and blasphemer.  Heonce claimed that he could corrupt the heart of any man within 30 minutes offirst meeting him.

Having joined the navy he rose to prominence and eventuallybecame the captain of his own ship, earning a lot of money through theabominable slave trade that helped to build the wealth of our country.  But it was on the journey that he encounteredGod and the amazing grace of Jesus that was to transform his life just as ithas transformed ours.

There are not many of us who have sinned in the way John did(at least not in our own minds), for God does not grade sin and ‘all havesinned and fall short of the glory of God’. We know that ‘the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternallife in Christ Jesus’.

This is the transformation for so many of us, including JohnNewton, who went on to serve God so powerfully for the rest of his life’sjourney, leaving behind a legacy of service and words of praise, including“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that save a wretch like me”.

Journeys Part 4

At our Central Prayer meeting in February, Rich Webb stated thatit was not necessarily the departure point or destination that is important butthe encounters we have on the journey that were important. 

In the context of what he was talking about he was, of course,absolutely right but for me the journey started at the Cross and that is alwaysimportant.  For it is at the Cross thatwe encounter the true nature of God, His overwhelming love for each of us, Hisgrace, His mercy and His purpose for our lives. It is at the Cross that we encounter light, life and truth, and forthose of us who have chosen to follow Him it is the start of an incrediblejourney.

Each of us is on a unique and personal journey although we doshare it with others along the way but the journey is never about us but aboutthe opportunities it gives us to share the gospel message, to feed the hungry,bring gifts to the poor, reach out to the lost and bring healing to the sick.

This is reflected in the journey of Tychicus, from Rome to Colosse.  In the first century this would have been anarduous and dangerous journey by land and sea but Paul has the confidence tosay “Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, afaithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord”.  Tychicus recognised that the journey was notabout him but his purpose was to tell the Colossian church the news about Paul,who was imprisoned in Rome .  How many of us would want to talk about ourown journey in such circumstances?  It isnot about us, it has never been about us but about those we are called toserve!

We can never underestimate what God is doing in our lives as wecontinue our journey and we need to focus on the opportunities He provides forus.  However, it doesn’t hurt to considerthe final destination.  If we do so ithelps us to live in the reality of our salvation.

Journeys Part 3

I have a fuel inefficient Honda Accord, made worse by the factthat most of my driving is around Scunthorpe .  To help save fuel I often knock it intoneutral to coast down hills and it seems to work. Some of you may disapprove ofthis strange driving style but it is not as bad as ‘coasting’ on my spiritualjourney.

This is why I am finding our latest teaching (non) series‘Shifting Gear’ so encouraging.  Whereverwe are on our only personal journey with Jesus it inspires us to move upanother gear and go for it. 

Of course, we could shift down a gear or even go into reversebut, with Rich’s latest anointing and the increased power of his teaching sincePalm Sunday, you would have to be totally resistant to the Spirit in order toachieve that.

I am excited and challenged by the teaching.  I am also excited by the next stage in myjourney with Jesus as I now have a mentor (we all should have one really) and Ijust know that as well as the support and guidance I shall receive it is reallythe challenge and accountability that I need.

I am mindful of Jesus’ great prayer for His disciples (that’sus now) recorded in John’s Gospel where he says to His Father, ‘Asyou sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.’  He has sent us into the world for a purposeand to have influence in our community. We can only do that by fully engaging with our community, with ourneighbours, with our work colleagues and our friends.  We need to share the gospel at everyopportunity, showing love and giving practical help through projects likeFoodbank and CAP.  This will be thecurrent focus on my journey with Jesus.