Heart for One Thing

Introduction

As you know I enjoy board games

How that hobby started with Bill’s invitation

What I really enjoyed about that game of Betrayal

How this was not a new hobby, and why games meant so much to me growing up

However in 2020 it was hard to meet around a table

the rise of online board games

The stripping down of time with friends and experiencing to taking turns when you can, and ultimately trying to win a game

Suddenly this is not something I enjoy nearly as much, it’s something I do because a lot of my friends want to, but I struggle to get excited about it

SEAM - This is an issue we can run into with anything. When we loose site of the heart, or deeper appreciation and understanding of why we do something, it just becomes a task we trudge through.

The One Thing - Mean to us?

Last week we started talking about the the one thing that really matters to God. We looked at passages of scripture that told us…

2 Peter 3:9 CSB

The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

or

1 Timothy 2:3–4 CSB

This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

We said that Jesus, before fully launching the church at pentecost said these words…

Matthew 28:19–20 CSB

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God’s word makes it clear that one thing that is deeply important to him is that all could come to repentance, to know him, and that we his people would make it our mission to bring others into the status of Disciple. We know it means a great deal to him

However…what does it mean to us?

We said it needs to be a priority for us if it is a priority to him.

But if we do not have a heart for it, we do not care about it, how can we get ourselves to engage in this mission on any level other than begrudging, or half hearted?

Pause for a moment and think

When you think of the great commission of Jesus, the call to go and make disciples….

How do you feel?

Do you feel a sense of responsibility?

Do you feel like that is someone else’s job?

Do you care about it deeply as if it were a priority for you?

Do you love the idea of the mission of the church?

Do you get excited about the idea of participating in this mission and celebrating

My guess is that many of us often put a responsibility and guilt on ourselves when we start to talk about the great commission and the one thing Jesus has called us to be apart of. And if it simply feels like obligation, then how can we ever step into this with the level of joy and excitement that Jesus had for it.

Stories You can pull on

GENESIS 3

ACTS 16

LUKE 15- The OTHER son