Connectors Are Equipped

Whenever I get a new electronic device I go right to the quick start instructions. I do this for a couple of reasons.

One is I am so excited about getting the device that I want to use it right away. And Second is if I am honest I am just not all that interested in all of the other technical aspects of the device.

I bought it for a purpose and I am not interested in how it works or what I need to do to get the most out of the device.

Until things do not go as planned.....many times after I use the quick start option instead of being able to use the device with ease I end up being frustrated…ok....angry and begin to wonder why I bought the device in the first place....

It is only when I get to the point of desperation that I tend to go back and read the full instructions…

A funny thing happens when I do this…I actually begin to understand how to use the device....If only I would learn and just allow the device manual to inform me from the beginning My experience would have been a whole let better.

Now I am sure none of you have this problem. I am sure that all of you read the directions follow them and then spend time in the owners manual learning how to get the most out of your devices.

But my excitement and quite frankly my laziness often creates more frustration and work than if I had just taken the time to become informed on how to use the device in first place.

I wonder how many times we take the same approach to our own spiritual growth? Richard Foster in his book Celebration of disciplines says

Many people stay in bondage to fear and anxiety simply becuase the do not avail themselves to the practice of study. Richard Foster

In other words Foster is saying I wonder how many people struggle to look for spiritual shortcuts or life hacks……instead of spending time allowing the wisdom that come from the ancient Scriptures inform how they are to live.

In our fast paces world it seems like many may be overlooking the scriptures to get to the application.

This can lead to an elevation practical steps above understanding deep theological and biblical truths.

When this happens people settle for band aids solutions for everyday living when they could have the cure.

Band aids are short term tricks that move us a little further in the right direction but they are not sufficient for living a confident Christian life.

The Truth is application is easier Than understanding. However the problems is that application without understanding leads to frustration.

Application is vital to confident Christian living however in order to apply God word to life it is essential that we start with……God’s word.

Informed Connectors are Equipped Connectors

Paul reminds us that the key to confident Christian Living is to allow ourselves to be informed by the voice of God by engaging with people, the scriptures and with the Holy Spirit so that we can all be confident and United.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT

New Living Translation (Chapter 4)

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Promises Come with Responsibilities

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Paul is pointing out that Christ Followers Let the Voice of God inform their application.

Application is not the goal…Application is the result of understanding.

Understanding takes effort and wrestling with the text ….. but when we learn more about God’s word it equips us to live in the way of Jesus during the most practical and mundane parts of out life.

Our faith is not academic…but we must start with words of Jesus if we want to live Christ Like lives.

Being Equipped for Christian living is about letting The Voice of God (scripture) and community (The Church) inform or thinking.

The Holy Spirit is with us for precisely just this purpose!

The Holy Spirit wants to empower God’s people to know the right choices, and processes for any given moment of life…If we spend time on the Origins of our Faith…that ancient wisdom will provide us with proper or accurate application.

This is not to say that there will not be moments where we have to work out the details.

But if we are being informed by Godly Wisdom we can work out these details or applications assured that Holy Spirit is directing our thoughts and actions.

Jesus gifts (APEST) Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers in every congregation (These are Connectors) to Equip people to live in Christ confidently everyday.

Which leads to an elimination of confusion, or indecision.

If Unity of Spirit is absent it is usually because people are building their faith around preferred ideas on application instead of allowing God to reveal His application to them.

Connectors build a foundation for practical applications starting with God’s voice in an APEST community.

What is and APEST Community….We are the APEST Community..

As we interact in community we find out which of these roles we fit into. Are we Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, shepherds, teachers or even a mixture.

Listening to each other as we spend time together to wrestle with Biblical and Theological concepts give us the foundation we need to discover sound practical application in our world.

Approaching application this way keeps us traveling the Media Vida…the middle way by maintaining a spiritual connection to our everyday thinking.

When people take the time to understand and hear God’s voice in community before they look for practical applications we enhances our ability to live Holy lives and apply God’s wisdom to every day situations.

There is no short cut to wise practical Spiritual application....

I want to encourage all of you no matter what age you are to invest in a time where you can really go deeper.

Come to Wednsday Night Bible Study....We meet at 6:30 pm every Wednesday Night. We study and discuss biblical themes that lead us to meaningful practical application.

It does not matter if you know a lot about scripture or if you are brand new…this time is in my opinion an essential practice to be the Connectors we are called to be.

The best way to practically Connect to (apply) God’s word to your life is to start wrestling with God’s word with other Connectors.

Prayer….lead into Communion.

Communion