Content, Complacent or Helpless

I was asked to speak at University of Newcastle Christian Union, which I did last night. I was given the passage Phil 4:10-23 to speak on. I began to think through what Paul had to say about contentment. I also tried to think about what contentment is not.
It is not-

1. Complacency- This is defined as being self-sufficient, self-reliant and unconcerned. It's an "I'm alright Jack" attitude. I have everything I need & everything I need I got for myself. It is also an attitude of being unconcerned about what is happening around us.
2. Helplessness- There is nothing I can do for myself or for others. I have nothing so I will just accept whatever happens to me.

We are reminded in Rev 3: 15-17 what God thinks of those who think they have everything. We make him feel like vomiting. When we get to that stage we stop trusting in God.

Paul also reminds in Phil 4: 13 that we are not helpless because through His strength we can do all things.

Contentment is not from external circumstances but an internal assurance of our relationship with Christ and what He has done for us.

Contentment is a capacity to be detached & independent from possessions.

Contentment is learned. Paul said that he had learned contentment. This means "disciplined by experience". Paul probably go it wrong, which was how he learned through experience. That definitely gives me hope.

People are more likely look at our lives when things are going wrong to see if we react differently as Christians than when everything is going well.

Do I show contentment in all circumstances? I don't want to be complacent or helpless.

"...in My name..."

When we are told to ask for things in the name of Jesus what does that really mean? 

Can I get away with asking for whatever I like and then just tagging it with "in the name of Jesus" and so expecting to get what I want.
I have been thinking about this lately and wondered what it means. When we look at what "in the name of Jesus actually means we get another sense of our relationship with Him and how we can expect Him to hear and answer our prayers.

"In the name of Jesus" (or "in my name") is stated several times in both the Old & New Testament. When this phrase is used it is used in the context of someone coming with the authority of the person they are naming. It also implies that they are under the authority of that same person. This is shown in Jesus' interaction with the centurion in Matt 8:9. He understood that only authority he had was that which was given to him. He was not coming in his own name.

When we do or ask for things in the name of Jesus, we need to ask ourselves have we really submitted ourselves to His authority. Do we trust that when He answers, the answer is from His will not ours. If He chooses not answer in our timing are we still under His authority?

1. Remember that if we are saying things in His name then we should also be under His complete authority.
2. Remember if we are doing things in His name, are we living in such a way that show we are reflecting the authority that He has over us.
3. Remember when we ask for things in His name, let's trust that He will give us whatever answer is best for us.

People with difficulties or difficult people?

I love my job, if it wasn't for all those people...

I don't know about you but as a pastor the greatest joys and the greatest frustrations don't come from accounts, structures, a perfectly flowing Sunday service, or even a message that I have felt just hit the spot. The highest highs and the lowest lows come from my one on one interaction with people.

I love looking around and seeing lives that have been transformed by the love of Christ, often shown through His community. Then I see people who just don't seem to understand what we are all about. They are so focused on having their own personal preferences and problems dealt with. They are different from people with problems, I love them; they seem to realise that there is no one else to turn to and Christ is the answer. No, the one's I am talking about are the problem people. There aren't that many of them but they just seem to suck the life out of you and everyone around them. Everything is a drama.
Some of the major issues in their life are-

1. The church music is too loud, I can't hear myself worship. 
2. I want to park closer to the building.
3. I don't like it when you talk about money.
4. You haven't recognised my gifting.
5. I have no friends.
6. I don't like doing what you have asked me to do. 
7. All my problems are someone else's fault, so I don't have to do anything about them. (Great point from Charlie Sullivan)

I could go on but I am starting to depress myself.

When we actually understand what we are called to be in this world then our focus is taken off ourselves and placed firstly on Christ, then our gaze is always directed to where His heart is. We are called to be servants, making disciples everywhere we go. As a servant my priority is to meet the needs of others; as a disciple maker I am here to replicate Christ in me in others.

We all have personal preferences that we have to get over to be part of a Spirit-breathed community. I need to look at my own life regularly and ask myself what preferences are defining me at the moment. When was the last time you checked the personal preferences you are allowing to control your life?

Keep my gob shut.

Ever had those times where you wish you hadn't said something? I have found myself in a few of those situations throughout my life...

There are also those times where you are not sure whether you should say something. I am finding I am feeling like that a lot lately. Should I say something to the guy who is always making derogatory comments about his daughter, the woman that does nothing but moan about change, or the wife that complains about her unsaved husband.

Do I have a right to speak into these peoe's lives if they haven't given me permission to do so? Is it worth the antagonism that is likely to ensue. I know that challenge is part of being a pastor and also just part of life but I think one of the issues is choosing the right forums. I guess Twitter is not one of them. Unfortunately the social networking sites are where I really want to open my big fat gob and say what I think because that is where some people tend to do their whinging, gossiping & disparaging comments. Not appropriate or productive. I guess this means that I am actually learning something.

How do you appropriately challenge people?

Finishing the year well.

Many of us have made well intentioned New Year's resolutions only to have broken them within the first week. So how do we change that this New Year?
One thing I am learning is that how we finish one season is how we start the next. So how we finish this year will impact whether we can realistically fulfill our resolutions in the next.

Here are 5 ways to help us finish this year well.

1. Tidy up the loose ends. Phil 1:6 states that "...He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion..." Are we bringing things to a completion before entering something new. What are the things we need to tie up & complete once & for all? I have some unfinished projects to complete by the end of the year. 
2.  Who ya gonna call? What relationships have you let slide this year that you need to re-establish? Make that telephone call and arrange to meet up. Don't wait for them to do it.
3. Look at my successes. Have a look at some the successes that you have achieved in the last year. They don't have to be big ones. All of us have achieved something. What are they and did I celebrate them.
4. Look at their successes. Are you able to celebrate the success of those around you? Why not help someone celebrate their achievements in this last year. Maybe you might be the one person that notices it and helps them end their year well.
5. Look at how I have overcome one of my personal constraints. Flip Flippen talks about how to overcome our personal constraints. Look at what you have overcome this year to help build a platform for what we can master next year.
   

Let me know if any of these help you in the last couple of weeks of this year.

Convictions

I have been thinking about what my convictions are. Not my values but those things that I am prepared to fight for or walk away from other opportunities to keep.
What are those things that I hold most dear. They are generally unwritten and unspoken but definitely seen in my life. They are the things that define my actions. They require some indpeth thinking on how I react in certain situations then looking at the 'why' behind the 'what'.
I am sure that as I explore my own convictions I am going to find some that I will need to change. There will also be some that I think are my convictions but in reality are not because they don't really define my actions. They are not deeply held convictions, more wishful thinking.
The question I need to ask myself is how do I then move from wishful thinking to deeply held convictions. Any thoughts or comments?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The SUDDENLY increase

Well the news is out, we are now one church in two locations- Tyneside and Teesside. What started as a "What if..." conversation nearly two months ago has now become a reality. Now that the announcement has been made the hard work actually begins. The euphoria will die away fairly soon and the practicalities will settle in. We are adopting a child into our church family. How will the older child react when it doesn't have it's parents' full attention anymore? How will the new child react to the new structure, new name and new parents? Sometimes it is not even the big changes that can cause the most discomfort, it can be the little things that we hold on to the most dearly. I love the quote by Catherine Booth that states "There is no improving the future without disturbing the present".

We want to take people on this incredible journey with us and will do our best to help people but the journey is going to happen and some people may choose another journey or settling place for themselves. I still struggle with people doing that, but am learning that if my heart really is to build people then sometimes we are not the ones that are best suited to do it for them. We can get so distracted by people leaving when it maybe the best thing for them to help their lives grow.

I can tell you honestly that we, as the new parents, are trusting God because we definitely don't feel confident in our own strength. So far, as a church and as pastors, we have kept steady and fairly constant growth. So we have been able to increase our capacity as leaders to accommodate what God has brought our way. Suddenly we have added about another 90 people to our care. That is responsibility from God and it scares me. I'm so glad I don't have to do it in my strength. I am learning more & more to trust God as He places me out of my depth.