Are you feeling forceful yet?
We wrap up our series with one final idea about the kind of FORCE that Jesus was and how we are called to be the same!
We still have Newton’s laws in our minds with this and the word of his discoveries that teach us what influences change to the motion of an object; defines the capacity to do work, or the capacity to cause physical change: FORCE.
Recap of the previous weeks:
Week 1 - faithfully gracious
Week 2 - obviously peaceful
Week 3 - relationally present
Week 4 - completely loved
The thought of concluding this series while looking at the life of Jesus and considering our heavenly Father, the Creator God, there was a perfect message that seemed to wrap it up nicely. A part of the character and nature of God that we haven’t addressed, his generosity. And there was an ‘E’ word that gave an excellent description, excessive.
Our final frontier of this Cristo-centric journey calls us to consider being Excessively Generous! Excessive meaning MORE THAN NECESSARY, and for generous, think of self-sacrificing giving of goodness.
Let’s start with the obvious, yet critical. God GAVE us His son! God LOVED us before we were lovable. God’s love never fails. God’s mercy is new each morning. God’s forgiveness is eternal.
These are elements we can draw on for reference and have the privilege to experience when we open our hearts to the LORD and align our hearts with God in Christ.
But I want to bring you to THREE things that we see in Jesus specifically where we cannot help but be challenged and charged to use the same EXCESSIVE GENEROSITY that Jesus did.
1. Service. Jesus said I “did NOT come to be served but to serve, and give my life as a ransom for many.” (Matt 20:28) He led other by serving them.
2. Truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) There was no deceit ever uttered from his mouth.
3. Forgiveness. Jesus extended forgiveness to the people who hung him on the cross, WHILE he was still hanging on the cross. (Luke 23:34) He never retaliated or sought to get even.
These three examples do not require much further explanation as they describe how he lived BECAUSE they embody WHO Jesus was. These elements were his character. They define Him.
If we’re going to be a FORCE in our world for the kingdom of God we must let the Spirit of God transform us and empower us so that these become a part of us as well.
We must serve others. Practice last place!
We must be truth tellers. No lies leave our lips or get passed through our fingertips!
We must forgive quickly. Holding out for revenge or maintaining a grudge only divides further so we must be willing to let it go, to be wronged, and to strike first by retaliating in love.
It really is a ridiculous way to live…compared to the rest of the world. But it is what we are called to become…HOLY!
#Ridiculousness
#ExcessivelyGenerous
#FORCE
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Mark 16:15 “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”
Brett
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