Made to Do More

Introduction

What is more?

What’s missing?

Not enough?

Restless discontentment?

Be, Do, Go

Be disciples who make disciples - an expression of love

Not saying do more.

Expand our capacity for doing more - yours and ours by regaining an understanding of who we are, why we are and what we’re to do

Our secondary calling gives us a unique opportunity to carry the fullness of Christ into the world. And, that’s our ultimate DO.

Love Does

Shift: From More Hierarchy to More Missionaries

From Sunday Event to everyday...

Who the ministers are

Ownership - no longer spectator or consumer

Who the leaders/equippers are

Made to Live

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Walking Dead

Dead - lacking spiritual vitality; being indifferent toward the things of God.

Sin - act or feeling that oversteps into something forbidden or ignores something required by God’s character.

Distant, far from, separated from the source of vibrant life

In conflict with the world and creation

Inequities

Racial division

Ideological battle lines

At odds with the earth

Raised to Live

There is longing in the heart of God for humanity—the us now means Jews and Gentiles alike—to be restored to the highest and best that he had planned for them

saved - By Grace you have been rescued; returned safely.

God the hero, rescuer, restorer delivers people from death and giving them life.

From love being merciful - rich to the undeserving

The creative work of God, sharing in his resurrection life makes us alive with Christ - new creations. We are identified with his resurrection reversing the effect of death.

Gentiles and Jews coming together becoming God’s family.

Christ’s victory over the powers make resurrection with God possible

And the new life with Jesus possessed here and now.

Made a Masterpiece

The word for ‘masterpiece’ (poiema) is only used one other time in the NT when Paul describes the creation of the world – it’s where we get the word for ‘poem’ – God’s beautiful writing – here it is used again – we are God’s beautiful writing - story

A Redemptive Story

Hero - God

A Rescue

Loss of Identity - you don’t understand who you are

Loss of Purpose and Mission - you don’t understand why you are here – an incomplete life

Loss of the KOG - There is no hero if there is no rescue – there is no rescue if life is about you. There are people all around you who need to be rescued – You were made to be more!

In this new life, we are his workmanship.

A think of his making…handiwork.

We, in this new life, this new nature that we have received, are his workmanship.

Masterpiece

Never done...depth and character as time goes on. Beauty is in the workarounds

What God’s made you to be and do now. Not what you should be; what he’s making you to be.

Made to Walk in Good Works Prepared Long Ago

We’re not saved from sin but FOR relationship with God and to join him in his work.

Sin was in the way.

New life in Christ and good works cannot be separated.

This does not of necessity mean that there are particular special good works that are God’s purpose for us.

The work is clear - participating with God in the restoration of all things and finding unique ways to demonstrate his kingdom to others in the way God has equipped you to.

The opportunities are unique for each of us.

Goff: God made us to love and when Jesus invites us on this adventure he shapes who we become through what happens along the way.

The purpose of God for his church, as Paul came to understand it, reaches beyond itself, beyond the salvation, the enlightenment and the re-creation of individuals, beyond its unity and fellowship, beyond even its witness to all the world the love, kindness mercy and grace of Christ.

God is trying to reconcile the world unto Himself and the world to itself – And, the church – and we are the church – is His primary agent in doing so.

More than words

Being friends

Goff: To make an impact you have to start a friendship. Friends do - they don’t just think about it.

Restoring dignity

Working for justice

Christian, this is why you were given new life.

Bob Goff: I used to think God guided us by opening and closing doors, but now I knew sometimes God wants us to kick some doors down.

What’s Your Story

To live out the what of your secondary calling, you must first believe that God has a calling and purpose for your life, and you need to actively engage in finding and developing that calling. 

Trust Deeply The Author Of Your Story

We need to ask these questions:

Where do you see a place of great pain?

What bothers, disturbs, or excites you?

How does God want it to be?

What is the main reason things as they are?

What are the possible solutions sand how can they happen?

Goff: you don’t need an invitation; you’re already invited.

Next week: Discovering your where