Mush To Clarity

I was not ready for the feeling that I experienced on the Stage of Denver First Church of the Nazarene as the General Superintendent Jim Bond placed his hands on my head and ordained me in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I struggled with the feeling I was having because I had never felt this way before. Plus I simply was not expecting to have any kind of spiritual experience…but that is exactly what it was.

It was one of the most significant moments of my life. Right up there with my wedding day, and the Birth of my son.

However at the time I could not understand why…It was a moving service, But not really any different than others I had been through. The message was challenging but not in a really different sort of way.

Ordination was the culmination of years of obedience to God through study and service but as I have thought about that night I believe the feeling that I was a feeling of Clarity.

Clarity is defined as the quality of being clear, in particular…the quaility of being certain of definite

This moment brought everything into alignment as to how I was supposed to spend the rest of my life. It was a moment where I knew this call to full time ministry was God’s destiny for me.

I wish I could say I have always held on to the clarity…sometimes I have struggled with it. If things are not going well, or times of financial struggle, times of discouragement or self doubt you name it there have been attacks on the Clarity of my call to ministry.

However in these times of doubt and fear the word of God has always been able to bring me back to mission, or clarity.

I believe that all of us have had times like this. Times where the enemy

Clarity of mission does not mean elimination of doubt and fear…It provides peace and direction in the midst of doubt and fear.

This is why I think the enemy attacks Clarity in the life of most if not all believers. If the enemy can get us thinking mush instead of clarity he can render us helpless and hopeless.

When we are not clear on God’s will we allow doubt and fear to dominate our lives. This leads us to a spiritual dryness at best or even spiritual death at worst.

Either one of these things keep us from being on God’s mission to bring the good news to all of the world…every man women, and Child on the face of the earth.

Clarity can be stolen from us when we get caught up in the mundane and material pursuits of life.

However there is always opportunity to rediscover Clarity.

More than once God has taken me back to the certainty of that moment on Stage when the General Superintendent shared our passage with me.

READ AGAIN HERE

I believe this Passage can do the same for you. It can change your mind set from Mush to Clarity.

However more than once God has taken me back to the certainty of that moment on Stage when the General Superintendent shared our passage with me.

In other words it can move you from a doubt and fear to confidence of purpose.

READ PASSAGE AGAIN Here

It is the call of every follower of Jesus to be ready to preach or share the gospel in every situation we may find ourselves in.

Work, family, school, etc....

I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

The same tendency to embrace mush that is and always will be in the mind of a secular world will in fact be prevalent in the Church.

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

I had a guy once that the church cared for during a really tough time in his life. He had been kicked by a cow and was disabled for a time. We took food to him, we visited him and he came to the church for a while.

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

In fact when we would talk he often told me that he liked my preaching becuase I was the only one in town the preached the bible....(This should have been my first warning flag.) However when it came time to join the church and I explained our doctrine, he did not like it so he left the church.

My approach to teaching and preaching did not change it was his rejection of sound doctrine that did.

What I took a way from this was when someone says I your the only one preaching the bible…what they really mean is that up to now you have not said anything that has challenged me or that I do not already hold to be true....you are tickling my ears.

Clarity that comes from scripture often come from being challenged and well as reassured of your current thoughts.

Keep a clear mind no matter what the situation is. In other words we are to embrace Clarity though the Word of God.

5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation....(Westie Chocking on a big piece of meat)

Face opposition courageously

Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Face opposition courageously…Suffering is a given

Tell the World about salvation…Work at telling, practice your story, learn more about how God wants to forgive sin…This means regular times of learning together…Small groups.

Serve the World selflessly…Serving is not optional…find a place to serve through the Church.

paraphrase this story

  (MSG)

The Message Chapter 13

1–2  13 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.

3–6  Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, “Master, you wash my feet?”

7  Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.”

8  Peter persisted, “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!”

Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.”

9  “Master!” said Peter. “Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!”

10–12  Jesus said, “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.” (He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.”) After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.

12–17  Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

John 13:12–17 The Message

After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table. Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

  (MSG)

In other words my word matters so apply it to your life…really!

The Word of God provides the clarity we need to overcome doubt and fear if we spend time in it reading, learning, discussing it and letting it fill our hearts and minds will lead us to a place of clarity in a time where nothing seems clear.

Not that you and I will not have questions at times. We will!

We will struggle with a change in direction in our lives. We will struggle with our preferences over Gods’ will...We will struggle when it seems like holding to sound doctrine will cause us to miss out on some worldly benefit.

We may even struggle when it comes time to share our faith with someone that seems to have no interest in the sacred.

However if we will hold on to the Clarity and presence of the Holy Spirit that the Word of God brings...Holy Spirit will be able to bring clarity from the mushiness of the world around us.

James…Play...

In What ways have you accept mush over clarity?

Right now Ask God to shine the light of His Holiness over you to expose anything that has contributed to spiritual confusion.

Offer those things to God....Say God I offer you _______________

Now Stop and imagine (Be Specific here…) in what ways will your life have to be different to live in Clarity? Forgivness, ask for Forgivness.

As we have asked God for help in these areas it makes it easier for us now to come to the table a more fully experience God’s presence in communion.

We are an open communion Church which means all are welcome to come to the table as they have repented of their sins, fallen in Love with God and sought out to Love God’s people.

MANUAL

Now come and experience the presence of God in our lives through communion.