How not to waste a challenging seson

Intro: Back when I first started in ministry, I was facing some challenges as a solo pastor, especially with a few families. I had some email correspondence with a former teacher of mine who spent some time in pastoral ministry. He sympathized but added something I needed to hear

He suggested that even if some situations don’t change, don’t miss the change the Lord may be bringing about in you.

That was 10 year ago. I still need to learn, and re-learn that again

—Don’t miss the change the Lord may be brining about in you--

HOW NOT TO WASTE A CHALLENGING SEASON

I don’t think I need to convince anyone this is a challenging season—personally, congregational.

But in the grand scheme of things

Romans 8:28–29 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

I’m cherry picking some places in Romans;

The church there faced some challenges of of two-mindsets (Jew/Gentiles)

It posed a challenged, but living out the gospel means the challenge will not be wasted

1. Don’t waste an opportunity for transformation

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

This is the fruit of Christ’s work of the gospel

But we can wast an opportunity for gospel growth

—If we become conformed to the world (this age)

—If we fail to renew our minds habitually in the truth of the Bible

Apply: Simply put, we can stop thinking and behaving like believers

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

We can fail to be eternally minded, and a people of hope

2. Don’t waste and opportunity to grow in love (Ch 12 & 15)

The final chapters in Romans are the ethical—how to act as gospel people

Love has pride of place

Romans 12:9–10 ESV

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

(Even Rom 12:13-21 are outworking of love)

Romans 13:8–10 ESV

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Apply: If love has pride of place God’s Word (2nd greatest commandment)—it should have pride of place in my life.

It struck me how love could not be genuine—it can be hypocritical, phony.

The greatest challenges in life are almost always the challenge to love more; to be more Christ-like in our love

3. Don’t waste a challenge by quarreling or passing judgment on other believers

Romans 14:1 ESV

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

Romans 14:4 ESV

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:10 ESV

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;

There is clearly a better way:

Romans 14:19 ESV

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Apply: If our challenging situation causes us to quarrel and judge---we’ve wasted it.

We have a higher calling (peacemaking and mutual upbuilding)

4. Don’t waste by pleasing self and staying silent

Living for ourselves is the best way to waste every opportunity the Lord placed in front of us

Romans 15:2–3 ESV

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

Finally,

At the end of Rom, Paul summarizes his mission to the Gentiles

Romans 15:18–21 ESV

For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

Conclusion:

We waste our challenges when we stop spreading the gospel. When we no longer are moved by mission.

—I fear that the church may be tempted to drift in this direction.

Jesus keeps us on this earth

To be increasingly be conformed to him

To continue to spread the gospel—especially to place and peoples who have never heard

COVID has been a major challenge for us—but it doesn't come close to the challenge of people living in Afghanistan right now.

A few weeks back the MTeam was on a call with the G family—Jason and Lisa.

Things looked bleak for some of their friends who wanted out of the country for obvious reasons.

But Jason reminded them: if you all leave, there will be no light.

—We do not live in Afghanistan, but we do need to hear a similar reminder: Don’t forget we are the light of the World. We have the gospel treasure that needs to be shared and spread.

May God give us the grace not to waste our challenging season