Fully Alive

Last week, we started our new teaching series “Misio Dei.” In this seven-week series, we are going to explore our new vision statement, our new mission statement and our new core values that we recently adopted here at Brentwood Park Alliance.

Our vision is to see all people fully alive in Jesus and sharing his love with others.

Our mission is to empower people to grow in a relationship with Jesus through biblical preaching, passionate worship, community service and intentional relationships.

Our core values are connecting to God through worship and prayer, loving our neighbour, experiencing life-transformation and extending God’s grace to others.

Today, we are going to look at the first part of our vision statement and see what it means to be fully alive.

Have you seen the Disney movie “Tangled?”

Rapunzel had a busy life - everyday up at 7 AM, does her chores - sometimes sweeping twice, reading, painting, plays guitar, knits, and then cooks lunch. After lunch, she plays puzzles, darts and then does some baking. Then she does paper-mache, practices ballet, and then plays some chess. Then it’s on to pottery, ventriloquism, candle-making. By then it’s time to stretch, then sketch, and then workout with indoor climbing. After that, she might sew a dress, and if time allows, re-read her books, paint her walls some more, and brush her hair, which, if you’ve seen the movie, is quite the task.

That’s a full day. She’s really busy. But in all of that, she wonders when her life will begin. She’s breathing, she’s occupied, but she isn’t fully alive. She’s trapped.

And I wonder if any of you have felt trapped in life?

Trapped by finances?

Trapped in an unhealthy relationship?

Trapped in an addiction?

Trapped by your own insecurities?

Trapped in a life that feels purposeless?

Like Rapunzel, when we feel trapped, it doesn’t matter what the other circumstances are, we can’t feel fully alive. We wonder when is our life going to really begin. And the good news is that Jesus has come to give us new life - to save us from the power and the penalty of sin and to set us free from sin and death so that we can be fully alive.

John 10:10 NIV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

To set the context of this passage, Jesus says this to a group of Pharisees who were offended when Jesus insinuated that they were spiritually blind. When they express their indignation, Jesus speaks in a metaphor about shepherds and sheep. The thieves are all those who try to lead or take the sheep but who aren’t the shepherd. He may have been referring to the false messiahs that came before him, but most likely he’s talking about the Pharisee’s who were the religious leaders of the day. He’s calling them spiritual thieves.

So, in verse 10, Jesus contrasts their motives and his. You see, they created this whole extra religious system of rules that were in addition to the law of Moses, and breaking those rules could mean oppression or death. By forcing people to follow their rules, they led people away from God. They kept them in spiritual death. That’s why Jesus said their motives were to steal, kill and destroy.

But Jesus came to give us life. And not just a life where we coast by, but an abundant life - a full life. The word for “full” here in the original language means “superabundant” or “excessive” or “extraordinary.” Jesus doesn’t come to give us a busy life, but a life that is extraordinary.

And because this is Jesus’ heart for each of you, it’s our heart for you as a church as well. Which is why our vision statement starts with the dream to see all people - everyone in the room, everyone who watches online, and everyone else in the world as well - fully alive in Jesus.

But what does it look like to be fully alive? I think the 50,000 ft. view of a life that is fully alive in Jesus has two components to it:

1. Healthy Relationships

We are a relational species. Even the introverts among us crave healthy relationships - they just need some alone time to recharge their social and emotional batteries. Let me state an obvious truth - UNHEALTHY relationships traumatize us and alter how we see ourselves, see God, and see others. So, for us to be fully alive we need healthy relationships.

We need a healthy relationship with GOD

Theological reflection/study

Spiritual Disciplines

These are about connecting to God - Prayer, worship, fasting, meditation, contemplation, simplicity, confession, celebration

Pursuing Holiness

1 Timothy 6:11 NIV

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Receiving from God

Love, acceptance, forgiveness, correction

We need healthy relationships with OTHERS

Confession and Repentance

Take responsibility for your actions and their impact

James 5:16 NIV

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Forgiving and Reconciling

Colossians 3:13 NIV

13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Living out the “one anothers”

There are 59 “one another” commands in the Bible. They remind us that our lives aren’t about serving ourselves, but others. We are the expression of God’s love in practical forms to each other, to our families and to each other.

Finding your Spiritual Squad

Galatians 6:2 NIV

2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

We need a healthy relationship with OURSELVES

Soul health

I’m convinced that one of the great issues that blocks people from knowing God more intimately is busy-ness. Too many people over-schedule their lives and live in a constant state of soul stress. Here’s a question to challenge you: Do you worship God with your calendar? Your calendar reflects your priorities.

If we are to have a healthy relationship with ourselves, we need to schedule in time to rest - not just sleep - but truly rest.

Body Health

The more I let my body drift into apathy, the more my soul goes with it. Because we are integrated beings - mind, body and soul, when one aspect is unhealthy, the rest is affected by it. Even the apostle Paul acknowledges that there is a benefit to physical exercise.

1 Timothy 4:8 NIV

8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

As good stewards of all that is entrusted to you, take care of your body.

Mental Health

Emotional Awareness - what am I feeling and why?

Our baseline should be hope-filled joy.

A life fully alive feels ALL the feelings - it laments, it’s sad, it’s angry, it’s ecstatic.

Identity in Christ

Mental health help is for everyone

2. Living with Purpose

4436 The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder—a waif, a nothing, a no man.

Thomas Carlyle

Being a Disciple-maker

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

While I’m going to go deeper into this in a few weeks, I think it’s important for us to remember that we are a missional church - a church (an assembly of God’s people) who is on mission together - to make disciples. Every one of us is called to empower others to grow in a relationship with Jesus.

Using your Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1–11 (NIV)

1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Forming Intentional Relationships

Intentional about growth - find people who can help you grow spiritually

Intentional about gospel witness - God has given you a sphere of influence - people whom you are called to reveal Jesus to.

Conclusion

“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” - Erma Bombeck.