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Abandon A Student Missions Resource for IMB Students Copyright ©2015 International Mission Board All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher. All verses and passages quoted in this material are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), unless otherwise noted. Editors: Amanda Phifer and George Siler Theme Art: April Southerland Design: Kathy Flores TABLE OF CONTENTS PREPARE STUDENTS FOR MISSIONS 2 GROUP BIBLE STUDIES Suggestions for using these sessions Session one – Abandon control Session two – Abandon comfort Session three – Abandon preference Session four – Abandon safety Session five – Abandon individualism Session six – Abandon all for Christ’s glory 4 6 10 14 18 22 26 PRAYER RESOURCES Group prayer strategy Prayerwalking An introductory prayerwalk 30 30 32 EVANGELISM RESOURCES Ready to testify Creation to Christ (C2C) 34 35 STUDENT DEVOTIONS Suggestions for using these devotions Week 1 - Abandon God-less-ness Week 2 - Abandon self Week 3 - Abandon selfish expectations Week 4 - Abandon fear Week 5 - Abandon shame Week 6 - Abandon all...for His glory 37 38 44 50 55 60 66 WORSHIP RESOURCES Worship on mission Theme Overview of topics Service 1 - Abandon control Service 2 - Abandon comfort Service 3 - Abandon fear Service 4 - Abandon shame Service 5 - Abandon apathy Service 6 - Abandon fame Guided prayer experience 72 73 74 75 78 81 84 87 90 93 RETURN TO SERVE Group debriefing session On the trip home: Personal questions for re-entry 95 97 1 PREPARE STUDENTS FOR MISSIONS On behalf of the IMB students* staff and all who work with us to send students to serve in mission projects, welcome to this free annual resource. We hope it will help connect the hearts of your students with the mission of God. We are thankful and excited you have chosen to engage your group in missions and look forward to what God is going to do in and through your students. USE THE APP Be aware that most of this material is available in the IMB students MyMission app (available free for most platforms) as well as in PDF and Word documents. Look for it at imbstudents.org/resources. WHY THIS RESOURCE? This book is intended to help you prepare high school and collegiate students spiritually for an international mission project. Most of the materials here also can be used for mission education. In either case, the purpose is not to indulge in merely a classroom experience, but to lead students to engage in real missions. This generation of young people will not tolerate all practice and no game, nor should they. The opportunities for them to serve cross-culturally and overseas are abundant. If you need help in making this connection, please contact us! PREPARE TO SHARE The thing we hear very often from missionaries about volunteers is “make sure they can present the gospel and share a meaningful, worthwhile faith in Christ.” What do you think a missionary host would say about your students after they came to serve? The essential concepts of biblical mission include the gospel, discipleship, evangelism, salvation, and the Lordship of Christ. You’ll find these and others clearly addressed in these Bible studies, devotions, and worship experiences. 2 THE ABANDON THEME “Abandon” may seem a bit negative. The “letting go” part comes across immediately, but with the inspiration of God’s Word, the “laying hold of” emerges as an exciting prospect. A life abandoned to Christ is indeed amazing. We enlisted writers to use this theme to craft fresh expressions of what it means for students to leave behind the expendable to chase after the eternal. We thank Rodney Calfee, Rahul Agawar, Matt Papa, and Amanda Phifer for their creative and dedicated efforts. *IMB students is the student and young adult mobilization ministry of the International Mission Board, SBC, providing international mission opportunities throughout the world for individuals and teams. GROUP BIBLE STUDIES “ “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 Welcome to a set of Bible studies that will challenge students to prepare for missions service overseas with the life of abandon. It is the mindset of a runner where much is at stake. Simply put, these sessions will lead them to consider Who it is they “run to” and what it is they need to “run from.” LIVE WITH ABANDON We run to Jesus. We “look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” in order to know Him more deeply, glory in Him, and find our joy in Him. Unless we understand that He truly is the priceless treasure without cost, any discussion of trading earthly pleasures for His sake is moot. We run and we want to take others with us. As people who have heard, understood, and been transformed by the gospel of Jesus–who have experienced the Spirit-awakening joy of an encounter with Christ–it also is our joy to act as witnesses and testify to the gracious, atoning work of Christ that purchased our pardon. All other things pale, if not disappear completely, in the blinding glow of the Light that came into the world to overcome darkness and redeem His people. Awash in His beautiful light, we Christ-followers are meant to live with abandon for the glory of God in the earth and the good of the people who have not yet heard the gospel of grace. ” Christ over all things, which grants them freedom to lay down anything for Him and His mission. Encouraging and equipping your students in that direction is the goal of these studies. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rodney Calfee serves on the Executive Board of The Upstream Collective to help churches think and act like missionaries locally and globally. He was a local church pastor for 12 years and has been a part of Upstream for five years. Rodney has led numerous global trips as a part of Upstream, and served regularly as a writer and teacher for churches and missions organizations around the globe. He is a co-author of Tradecraft: For the Church on Mission. He lives in Birmingham, AL with his wife and three daughters. LET GO WITH ABANDON We run from all that would entangle and ruin us in the race. Such a life is a costly endeavor. There are things that seem to be good for us, such as control, comfort, preference, safety, and individualism, but in reality can become strongholds we must abandon. Ultimately the prize we seek is worthy enough to abandon everything else for the sake of the gospel. The mission of God is not for those who “run aimlessly” or “box as one beating the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26). Believers who live with complete abandon value 3 SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THESE SESSIONS This six-session group Bible study can be used in a series of weekly sessions or incorporated into a weekend retreat setting. (See below for a sample retreat schedule and activities). It is provided for IMB Students groups as preparation for their international mission project, but also can be used in other settings to introduce students to missions, such as in small group Bible study, Sunday School, a Disciple Now event, or summer camp. The intention of this study is to lead students to open up their availability and willingness to serve Jesus most specifically in the ministry and mission of making disciples. If you and your students are not already engaged in mission projects, we suggest that you incorporate this study into a broader plan for student disciple-making and missions. Plan avenues and opportunities for students to engage in disciple-making, both near and far. We are confident that the Holy Spirit will work in and through the lives of participants as you lead them to serve Christ with abandon. As a group leader or teacher, please read through the sessions carefully.The sessions are written to be interactive and engaging – much more than lectures. Be sure to utilize the intentional interaction times of prayer, discussion, and activities meant to help your group grow comfortable with each other and with sharing their thoughts about God. Each session requires at least an hour. Feel free to customize to your group’s learning style. The chapters in this guide are broken into sections that fall into three basic categories: • information (teaching sessions) indicated by ( ) • activities (games, videos, songs) indicated by ( ), • discussion indictated by (c) 0 U The sections of information are fairly robust, so they will require the majority of your attention and study. They are meant to be thoughtfully processed and the information presented in your own words to the group. Please, don’t just read it verbatim to your group. Take time to digest the information and present it in your own way. The activity and discussion sessions simply require your facilitation, but many of them include fairly involved scenarios. Take the time to prepare well for the activities, including gathering the required materials and making time for setup. Every 4 activity should lead to some discussion of what you have done and why, so there is an element of discussion inherent in them. For the discussion sections, make notes of your own ideas to kick start conversation in the event it stalls. For video clips and other content, you will need Internet access before conducting each session. A digital version of this material is available at imbstudents.org/resources and includes live links to all suggested videos and other online content. SAMPLE RETREAT PLAN A retreat setting can enable you to cover all the sessions more consistently with participants. Since six sessions can be quite a bit of content for one weekend, we suggest an extended retreat that begins on Friday and concludes on Sunday. The sessions themselves include warm-up activities, discussions, videos, and focused prayer times, but we encourage you to include the additional activities below to enhance the retreat. Please customize this material and adjust the sessions to make the event your own. Here are some questions to consider: • Should I divide my students into smaller groups to provide a better learning environment and more participation in discussions? • How can I enhance the message of these sessions in large group activities and personal devotions? • How do I want participants to act on what they learn this weekend? Can I provide them with a way to take action with the things they have learned? RETREAT SCHEDULE Here is sample plan for a DiscipleNow retreat: Please customize this material and adjust the sessions to make the event your own. Here are some questions to consider: Friday 5:00-6:30 p.m. Registration/dinner 6:00-6:30 Meeting with small group leaders 6:30-7:30 Corporate worship 7:30-8:00Travel to homes or get checked into rooms 8:00-9:30 Small group session one 9:30-10:00Break 10:00-11:00 Small group session two 11:00-12:00 Free time 12:00 a.m. Lights out Saturday 8:00-8:30 a.m. Breakfast 8:30-9:15Morning worship or individual quiet time 9:15-10:15 Small group session three 10:15-10:45Break 10:45-11:45 Small group session four 11:45-12:30 p.m. Lunch 12:30-2:30 Team building or evangelism training 2:30-4:00 Service project/outreach activity 4:00-5:00 Clean up 5:00-6:00 Small group session five 6:00-7:00Supper 7:00-8:30 Corporate worship 8:30-10:00Break/recreation (option: prayer experience or prayerwalk) 10:00-10:30 Travel to homes 11:30 Lights out SATURDAY AFTERNOON SUGGESTIONS Saturday afternoon is a good time to get the students moving. If they have been sitting and absorbing Bible studies and worship, they will need some activity time. There are several approaches to take, and depending on your schedule and amount of free time, you may want to consider a combination of these suggested activities. •R ecreation – You may want to break the seriousness or intensity of the weekend by using organized games, scavenger hunts, or competitions between the small groups. •T eam-building – Team building activities add an element of fun, but also deepen the bonds between group members. The team building element also forces group members to work together. The same teamwork aspect is an important part of missions and would be a great tie-in to the material. •S ervice/outreach activities – Leading students in an outreach or service-focused activity will help your group flesh out what they are learning. One possibility is to offer evangelism training using Creation to Christ (see the article elsewhere in this material). A teaching outline and video for this gospel presentation can be found at imbstudents.org. After the training, groups could be sent out into the community to put their training into practice. Other options for service are limitless: from partnering with churches, ministries, or food banks to doing yard work for individuals in the community. It is helpful not simply to teach students about missions, but to allow them to serve so they immediately live out what they are studying. Sunday 8:00-8:30 a.m. Breakfast 8:30-9:15Morning worship or individual quiet time 9:15-10:30 Small group session six 10:30 -11:00 Break 11:00 -12:00 Corporate worship 12:00 p.m. Retreat ends 5 SESSION ONE: ABANDON CONTROL FOCAL PASSAGE “ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. John 5:19 MISSION PRINCIPLE Missio Dei – God is on mission to redeem humanity from sin and separation from Himself. This mission is God’s, and He is sovereign in its purpose and plan. God has the authority to send us on mission. OBJECTIVE Students will understand that following God on His mission necessarily means that they abandon control of their own lives, turning to Him for leadership in all that they do. ADVANCE PREPARATION 1. G ather enough paper, pencils, markers, etc. for each participant to be able to draw during the first activity. Your gathering space needs either a table or ample floor space for everyone to draw. 2. D etermine and gather the objects you will use for the obstacle course and place them in the room. 3. As an option, prepare to show the video, “The Creed.” 4. P repare to play the Chris Tomlin song, “I Will Follow.” OVERVIEW Authority and submission are two of the most difficult topics for believers to grasp and put into practice. We all struggle with giving over control. Thankfully, we have an example to follow. Jesus’ entire life on earth was directed by His Father. We are being transformed into His image and learning to follow His leadership in our every decision and action, including following Him on mission. WARM-UP OPTION 1: DRAWING AUTHORITY Lead each participant to draw a picture of whatever comes to mind when they hear the words “authority,” “power,” and “submission.” Ask them to describe to the group why their image represents authority, where it derives authority, and what it means to honor that authority. Encourage creative thinking so that every- 6 ” one does not draw a police officer. Focus conversation on two truths: 1. There is no authority on earth that has not received its authority from someone else. Ultimately, there is no authority except that which flows from God (Romans 13:1). 2.Authority demands a response from those over whom it is exercised. WARM-UP OPTION 2: “THE CREED” Show the video, “The Creed” available at vimeo.com/112718306. This is a musical version of a manifesto memorized by students who participate in the Fusion program of IMB and Midwestern Seminary (see imbstudents.org/fusion). Follow this with a conversation from “Drawing authority” above. The creed simply states: “As a follower of Christ: I am called not to comfort or success but to obedience. Consequently, my life is to be defined not by what I do but by who I am. Henceforth: I will proclaim His name without fear, follow Him without regret and serve Him without compromise.Thus:To obey is my objective, to suffer is expected, His glory is my reward. Therefore:To Christ alone be all power, all honor and all glory, that the world may know. Amen!” OPENING PRAYER Read Psalm 135:5-6: “For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” Pray for the time together, specifically that God would be seen as Scripture reveals Him: sovereign over all people, events, and the created order, and that each person would respond in obedience to His authority. 0 AUTHORITY There is a very interesting story found in Matthew 8:5-13, in which Jesus heals the servant of a Roman centurion. The context within Matthew’s gospel makes it even more compelling. Jesus had just preached the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which left His listeners in awe: “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority” (Matthew 7:28-29). Jesus didn’t speak like the religious leaders of the day. He taught as one who was actually in charge, like one who had authority. His words carried weight that demanded a response. In the story, the Roman soldier noticed a couple of important things about Jesus. First, Jesus was a man in control; He was a man with authority. In Matthew 8 alone, Jesus exercised authority over leprosy (1-4), fever (14-15), demons (16, 28-32), other people (1822), and nature (23-27). The centurion had no doubt that Jesus also held authority over the affliction of his servant: “…only say the word and my servant will be healed” (8b). He was convinced that Christ could heal his servant with only a word, because He was a man with authority over sickness. The centurion also recognized that Jesus had an authority: “For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.” He only had rank because the imperial authority bestowed it on him, and he related his own position to Jesus, in essence saying that Jesus had authority over sickness because He was under the authority of God. Jesus agreed; He was a man who both exercised authority and bowed to an authority. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus trumpeted this idea. Our focal passage is but one example: “I can do nothing of my own accord, but only what I see the Father doing” (John 5:19, paraphrased). The Father sent the Son (John 3:16; 20:21), which means He had the authority to do so. Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane demonstrated His loyalty and submission to God. Facing the cross, He pleaded with the Father, “…if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, italics added). Jesus understood that the purpose and mission of His life was not His own; it was God’s. As before in His life, He abandoned control in submission to the Father. OBSTACLE COURSE UACTIVITY: Set out an obstacle course across the room using chairs, tables, backpacks, etc. Ask for two volunteers to be blindfolded. Verbally guide the first volunteer around the obstacles and across the room. Ask: 1. Was it difficult to trust my directions? Why? 2.How did you overcome urges to go your own way? 3.Would you trust me again? (Make the point that obedience in one situation can lead to deeper trust and further obedience in others.) While the next volunteer waits blindfolded, have the other group members secretly clear a path through the mess. Direct the volunteer to walk across the room step-by-step in a straight line. The volunteer, having seen the messy path, will be tested as to his faith in the leader. Ask the questions again. Make the point that abandoning control is not easy, particularly when we cannot see everything in front of us and must act in faith. This activity illustrates that God is in control and can lead us through various obstacles or even remove them. Ask the group what it would mean to practically abandon control in everything from major life decisions like college, work, and marriage to the minutia of character – how we speak, act, and treat others. Displaying the fruit of the Spirit in our character and actions is one way we know we have abandoned control of those things, because the Spirit is opposite our natural fleshly tendencies. EXAMPLE 0 OUR From the beginning of a personal experience with Jesus, the call is simple, “Follow Me.” (Mark 1:17) Following requires abandoning control of our lives to His leadership. Christ, our example, gave Himself completely to the will of the Father, even though it literally cost Him His life. He demands the same from us: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me… For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26). That is complete submission; but, if you look closely, you’ll see that it is submission for our good. 7 Jesus bore the cross in submission to the Father’s will and “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). He understood that the will of the Father was ultimately for the good of those He loved and held eternal ramifications. Jesus’ promise is much the same: whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake finds life–life that is better. We give up what is lesser for what is best. Nik Ripken, in The Insanity of God, describes his conversion to Christianity. His decision to follow Christ affected everything, including his plans for college and work. “I saw no separation or distinction between accepting Christ and surrendering my whole life to Him to do what He wanted me to do.”1 As a result, Nik gave up a scholarship to study veterinary medicine and enrolled in a Bible college to begin preparation for a life of vocational ministry. This is one example of what it means to abandon control to the Lord. Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God, (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2-13) p.33. 1 PRINCIPLE 0 MISSION The Bible is full of examples of God expressing His authority over, well, pretty much everything and everyone. Take a few minutes for the group to share particular verses and stories from Scripture, from their own lives, or others’, that express God’s authority. Focus on what it means for each one to abandon control and how it is ultimately for their good, even if it does not seem like it in the moment. The Scriptures are filled with images, stories, and commands of God that display His authority. In fact, the entire Bible is one story that reveals God according to His character and His work. It shows us who He is and what He is doing. There is a term used in missions to reflect this idea: Missio Dei, Latin for “the mission of God.” Mission is neither something we create nor direct. We are not in control of the story; God is. Missiologist David Bosch wrote, “ Mission is not primarily an activity of the church, but an activity of God…Our mission has not a life of its own: only in the hands of the sending God can it truly be called mission.” 2 We follow the one who has the authority to send us on mission: Jesus, who said, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21). Someone is in control; make sure it is Jesus. 8 c HOW DOES GOD LEAD US? Have the group briefly discuss the Bosch quote. Ask, “How does God lead us?” Discuss these ways the Lord leads His people: 1. Through Scripture. See Psalm 1 and 2 Timothy 3:16. We learn who God is and what He is doing through the Bible. If we are to abandon control to God, we must be students of Scripture. Ask participants: a. D o you have regular times to study Scripture? If not, when can you begin? b. W ould you consider reading through the Book of John, taking a chapter a day and learning more about the life of Jesus? 2.Through prayer. See Jeremiah 33:3 and 1 John 5:14. It is in prayer that we speak to the Lord and He speaks to us. Do you regularly communicate with the Lord? If not, begin to pray before and/or after studying the Bible.You can follow the simple ACTS plan: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (or petitioning). 3.Through following the Holy Spirit. See Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:16, 25; Acts 13:2; 8:26-40. The Lord sometimes leads in unexpected ways – a small inner voice that gives direction or a clear feeling or desire to go a certain place or do a certain thing. It is not always easy to distinguish this from your own personal desires, so it is imperative that these directions be tested against Scripture and bathed in prayer. The Spirit will never lead you in a way that Scripture would not. SONG: “I WILL FOLLOW” Play the Chris Tomlin song “I Will Follow” and discuss the lyrics (see youtube.com/watch?v=1ohvhmGSfxI). Have the group answer the following questions and share their answers with someone else who is willing to act as accountability for them. 1. What does it mean to “abandon control” and be under God’s authority in life and mission? 2.H ow does serving a greater authority affect my life? My decisions? 3.H ow can I honor Jesus as the authority in my life practically today? This week? How can I create a pattern of it in my life? 2 Bosch, David. Transforming Mission. p 390. Encourage the group to take practical steps toward giving over control to Jesus, like: •B eginning each day with the same prayer Jesus prayed, “Father, not my will, but yours be done in each decision I make, action I take, and word I speak today.” • S etting reminders on your phone to pray throughout the day. • L eaving sticky notes around your room to remind yourself that “God is the boss of my life today.” •P racticing a posture of submission by kneeling when you pray. CLOSING PRAYER Recite the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) together, emphasizing God’s kingdom, authority, and sovereign will: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.” 9 SESSION TWO: ABANDON COMFORT FOCAL PASSAGE “ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ Luke 9:58 MISSION PRINCIPLE Sent ones – Christ-followers obey the call of God to fulfil His mission, even if it means the sacrifice of their own comfort and well-being for the sake of the mission. OBJECTIVE Students will see that following God on His mission often requires walking away from our comforts into difficult places and circumstances, because “mission” equals “sending.” ADVANCE PREPARATION 1. Prepare your space for the “spy training” activity. You will need yarn, scissors, and tape. 2.P repare to play Brooke Fraser’s “C.S. Lewis Song” as well as the “Red Lights and Redemption” video clip. 3.G ather paper and a pen for each participant. 4.P rint copies of the closing prayer for everyone to read together. OVERVIEW Our homes, checkbooks, and complaints on social media show that we love our comforts. There is a reason #firstworldproblems continually trends on Twitter. In carrying out His purposes through His people, however, God often sends us into places and situations that preclude our creature comforts. Jesus showed us what it meant to walk away from perfect comfort and into a life devoid of it. And He showed us that it is worth it. We must decide whether we will follow Him into those difficult places or dig in our heels and hold firmly to the comforts we count as precious. TRAINING USPYGood spy movies are huge successes, because secret agency is the pinnacle of cool. But we can actually learn a lot about faith from these stories, including lessons about what we often have to give up for God’s mission. Have as many volunteers as time allows enter “spy training” and make their way through a course set up in 10 the room using yarn strung between walls and ceiling like this image. ” Volunteers must find their way through the course without touching the yarn, which will mean bending, turning, and twisting into uncomfortable positions.The point is that any mission has a particular goal, and attaining that goal often requires stepping into risky and uncomfortable places. Ethan Hunt, James Bond, Lara Croft, Jesus, Peter, John, Paul – they all were sent on mission and found themselves giving up their comfort for the sake of its completion. And it was worth it to each one. OPENING PRAYER Read Philippians 4:11-12. “I am [not] speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Pray that the group would understand both the weight of the mission into which they’ve been sent and the temporary nature of our comforts. Pray that they would be willing to lay down the latter for the sake of the former. Pray that their contentment would be found not in worldly comforts, but in Christ. MISSION Jesus was a man sent on a mission by His Father, and He talked about His mission constantly, including its cost. He left the perfection of heaven to enter broken creation and sacrificed His life on the cross to pay our sin debt, but those were hardly His only costs. His life and ministry were marked by discomfort. Look at Luke 9:57-62. A would-be disciple promised to follow Him anywhere, and Jesus responded, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (v. 58).The implication was that if He had no home, His followers could expect the possibility of the same. Suffice it to say that His point was clear: “ Your personal comfort bows to the mission, just like mine.” UDON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! (PART 1) U “C.S. LEWIS SONG” Pass out paper and pens to the group. Ask them one question: If you had to leave your home in five minutes, never to return, what would you take with you? Give them only one minute to make a list. Discuss their answers.There will likely be things such as family photos, keepsakes, items with inherent value (collections, jewelry, instruments), and pastimes (Wii, books, sporting equipment, etc.). Ask why they chose those things and point out which are all comfort-related; memories, money, and pastimes are meant to enhance our level of comfort. Ask what it would mean for each of them to be sent somewhere that either did not or would not allow for those creature comforts. What would they not give up in following Christ – honestly? Make the point that following Jesus on mission often costs us at least some of our comforts. We may leave behind family, friends, sports, schools, and so many other things we love. BEST IS YET TO COME 0 THE The New Testament is filled with language of hope for the future. Talk of future inheritance, promised in Christ and guaranteed by the Spirit, flowed from the quills of many a New Testament author. Their point is clear: something better is coming, something that far outweighs anything we might experience here and now. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). In light of the glorious inheritance that is to come – God Himself – any discomfort we may now face pales in comparison. Our discomfort, no matter how extensive from a worldly perspective, is a passing breath, a vapor in light of eternity. Echoes of that idea saturate C.S. Lewis’ famous words, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” Ours is a deep, unquenchable longing that will find fulfillment forever only in the presence of our God. As long as we remain here in this world, we must fix our eyes on the inheritance that outshines our current affliction and outlasts our discomfort. Play Brooke Fraser’s “C.S. Lewis Song”3 (youtube.com/watch?v=wo-e2BjICCY) and discuss the lyrics. It is written as a bit of a commentary on the above Lewis quote. Consider together the weight and meaning of the idea. Why would Christ call us out of the world only to simply send us right back in? What is the point of the inward longing it creates? Why would God send us into the world but want us to long for a home that is not here? Is there some practical reason, some application that we should make from that longing? This idea is not always easily grasped, but there are numerous passages in Scripture that offer clarity. One such passage is found in 1 Peter, in which the apostle writes to a group of downtrodden Christians struggling because their faith is difficult. They face extreme persecution as they live among unbelievers. Peter reminds them of their “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1:4). He calls them to fix their eyes on that which is eternal, but then he adds that their discomfort will continue. “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (2:12, emphasis added). Through it all, Peter reminds the believers that enduring is worth it. Their hardship will yield fruit in the lost who glorify God because of their actions. And eventually, their hardship will be traded for glory beyond measure. 0 MISSION PRINCIPLE Books and movies like Mission Impossible, the Bond movies, Tomb Raider, the Indiana Jones films, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and other such films and stories give us the most robust understanding of the term “mission.” In each instance, there is a sender with an agenda who sends someone else to carry out that agenda on his behalf. Without fail, the heroes in those stories are willing to sacrifice their own comfort and well-being for the sake of the mission. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1997) p. 118. 3 11 VIDEO: “RED LIGHTS AND REDEMPTION” What drives a missionary to leave home, cross cultures, and run great risks to be on mission with God? Being sent may be costly, but there is much to be gained.View this clip of an amazing ministry that rescues girls from brothels in East Asia: vimeo.com/135861581. Discuss: • Do you think this missionary is excited about what she does? Why? • What do you think she had to give up to follow this calling? • What has she gained in her obedience? 0 MISSIONS = SENDING Missiologist Francis DuBose4 wrote what seems a very direct and sensible definition for the term mission, saying “mission means sending.”4 It’s that simple. Missions = sending. “Some of the terms people use today – mission, missions, missionary, missional, and missiology – have a common root in the word missio, which derives from the Latin word mitto, meaning ‘to send.’”5 So when we speak of mission, we speak of sending. Why is that important? The answer is painfully simple: because joining God on mission means leaving, and leaving is hard. It means abandoning one place for another, one people for another, and in reality, one life for another. Being sent on mission often means leaving the comforts of home to go somewhere foreign to us. Mission, by definition, means that a sender sends the sent to a place for a purpose. For those of us who follow Jesus, this means the Sender (God in Christ) sends us to the nations to make His glory known among them. Therefore, we go. We leave. We forsake home and family and friends and culture for the sake of the mission, and that means abandoning many of our comforts behind. We don’t ask others to forsake all and come to us to hear the good news; we go to them. And going means sacrificing our comforts for the sake of the mission, in the manner of Christ. Similarly, it is absolutely worth it when we recall that this affliction is light and momentary. The best is yet to come. D ON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! c (PART 2) 1. H ave the students pull out the lists they made earlier of the things they would take if they had to leave home quickly. 2.Ask them to consider how their hearts might need to change in order to give up those things on the list for the sake of Jesus – and do so joyfully. 12 a. T hey may need to purposefully rid themselves of things they hold precious in order to practice trading comfort for Christ. b. T hey may need to serve in uncomfortable places (the upcoming trip is a wonderful opportunity to be purposeful in this way). c. T hey also may need to find the language of hope and inheritance in Scripture and see how often it corresponds with abandoning momentary comfort here. Encourage them to adopt that language, because words shape us. 3.Have them write on paper a couple of personal next steps toward abandoning comfort for the sake of Christ and His mission. CLOSING PRAYER Have the group pray this prayer aloud together (from Philippians 3:7-11): “Father, whatever I count as gain in my life, help me to count as loss for the sake of Christ, simply for the incomparable joy of knowing him. For His sake, I may suffer the loss of many things. Help me to count them as worthless, so I may gain Christ and be found in Him. Help me know Him and the power of His resurrection, and even share His sufferings. And help me to believe eternally that He is worth it. Amen.” DuBose, Francis. The God Who Sends: A Fresh Quest for Missions, (Nashville, TN: Broadmen Press, 1983), p. 22. 5 Pratt, Zane, M. David Sills, and Jeff K. Walters Introduction to Global Missions, (Nashville, TN: B&N Publishing, 2014). p. 3. 4 13 SESSION THREE: ABANDON PREFERENCE FOCAL PASSAGE “ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 MISSION PRINCIPLE Incarnation and contextualization – God has engaged the world through incarnation, and we whom He has sent must become incarnation people as well. We must “take on the flesh” of those to whom we’re sent. OBJECTIVE Students will learn that following Christ into the harvest often requires laying aside cultural and personal preferences (incarnational mission) for the sake of those to whom they are sent while representing the gospel in a way that makes sense in their context (contextualization). ADVANCE PREPARATION 1. Prepare table and items for the “role play” activity. Make sure you have the correct corresponding items for each situation and plenty of other random items to conceal them on the table. Provide cleaning supplies for the activity as needed. 2.P repare to show the video clip, “Radical Followers,” used in this lesson. 3.U sing Google Translate, generate and print copies of John 1:14 in various languages. OVERVIEW People prefer that which is comfortable, familiar, and meets their personal needs and desires. It is in our nature. Mission, however, often requires that we lay down preference in order to rightly communicate and demonstrate the glorious gospel of Jesus to those who have not heard. If we are to follow Christ’s example in His sending, we will willingly and humbly abandon our preferences for the sake of those who are perishing around us. 14 U HELP ME, REALLY? ” Ask three volunteers to step outside the room where they cannot see or hear what is happening inside. Have a table waiting there with several items that they will choose from as the game progresses. Instruct the volunteers that when they hear someone exclaim “help!” inside the room, they are to quickly pick up an item from the table and run in to assist the person in need. They must assist using whatever item they chose from the table. Situation one: Tie (gently) the hands and feet of a volunteer in the room with small rope or tape. The corresponding item is scissors. Situation two: Have a volunteer who has her makeup (eyeliner, blush, etc.) but needs help putting it on. The corresponding item is the missing brushes. Situation three: Have a volunteer making a sandwich. He or she needs mustard/mayo, pickles, etc. out of their respective jars. The corresponding item is a butter knife. Make sure that you have the correct corresponding items on the table, but bury them among other random, silly items, like toys, clothing, tools, etc. Make the point that context matters. Had the heroes known what type of help the other people needed, they could have brought the correct items. It was not necessarily enough that they did help; how they helped mattered, as well. How we do what we do matters in everything, including gospel mission. OPENING PRAYER Read 1 Corinthians 8:9. “But take care that this right of yours does now somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” Have someone pray for your time together, particularly that you may all recognize personal preferences that might stand as barriers to the gospel for others around you and have the boldness to abandon them. 0 A PARTICULAR WAY The focal passage for this study details an event central to the Christian faith, the Incarnation. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, italics added). God chose a rather peculiar way to offer hope and redemption to people. Knowing we could not come to Him, He came to us. Of all the possible ways for Creator God to redeem His creation, that seems unlikely, because it requires that God humble Himself. The means of redemption, then, not just the end, must be noteworthy. Paul certainly believed the way Christ came was meaningful, not only for salvation, but also as an example for those of us who would follow Christ. He emphasized not only that Jesus came, but how He came. His words in Philippians 2:5-8 are not merely descriptive, but prescriptive. Paul meant for them to transform our minds and inform our actions. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Jesus emptied Himself, took on human form, and served His way to the cross. He laid aside His divine privileges and stepped out of the throne room, into human skin. He came into a world that hated Him, in order to be among us and offer life. There was a preordained plan of salvation, and He made it clear in His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane that this was a suprememly difficult way. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” Yet Jesus laid aside His preference, saying, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). VIDEO: “RADICAL FOLLOWERS” Watch this video clip of two young men who spent a semester in Lesotho (li-soo-too) in southern Africa: vimeo.com/16155169. Note that the clip runs for five minutes, but the testimonies are moving. Discuss the struggle the young men felt over the gap between their middle class culture and lifestyle in America and the needs of the people they met. In what ways were they seeking to “incarnate” the gospel to these people? What motivated them? 0 NOT TO OUR OWN INTERESTS Philippians 2:3-4 adds even greater emphasis to the direction Paul gives the church. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” On the heels of these words Paul then points us to the One who perfected the art of humility, who deserves the praise of all creation, yet traded it for insults, lies, and death. Paul’s admonition to the church is undeniable – our preference doesn’t matter. Our call is to empty ourselves, just as Christ did, and to expend our lives for the good of those around us. Emptying ourselves means humbly laying aside our own desires and thinking of ourselves less. It means trading preference for the opportunity to love others in the manner of Christ. It means believing that those around us are “more significant” than we are, so our preference is not wrenched from clinched fists, but willingly abandoned. 0 MISSION PRINCIPLE: INCARNATION The Incarnation stands as an example for us to emulate, in that we are meant to cast off our preferences and live among the people to whom we’ve been sent as one of them. God revealed Himself in a number of ways throughout history: prophets, judges, kings, the Law, the sacrificial system, and even creation. But those methods were incomplete and pointed to something – or Someone – better to come. God fully and finally spoke through Christ, who is the radiance of His glory and the exact imprint of His nature (Hebrews 1:1-3). What was lacking in every previous manner of revelation was completely fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 5:17) as He took on flesh and moved into the neighborhood. He was present with people and took on their form and nature so they might see God in a manner they understood. If God engaged the world through incarnation, then those whom He has sent must become incarnation people, as well.We must “take on the flesh” of those to whom we’re sent.We’ve been sent “into the neighborhood” to be among them so that they can understand who Jesus is through our words and deeds. Practically, incarnational mission requires us to live among and identify with the people to whom we’ve been sent.We cannot fully understand them if we are not with them.We can’t decipher how the gospel is good news to them if we don’t understand their hurts, desires, and needs. Good missionaries do exactly 15 that. As you work among missionaries and national believers on your upcoming trip, watch and learn how they have picked up on cultural cues, how they have rooted themselves in a community, and how they have abandoned parts of their previous culture (preferences) in order to do so.You will have the opportunity to learn invaluable lessons that are applicable in your own missional endeavors at home and abroad. 0 MISSION PRINCIPLE: CONTEXT MATTERS Closely tied to incarnational mission is a missionary practice known as contextualization, which is translating the unchanging gospel into ever-changing cultures. Part of the “how” of mission is effectively communicating the gospel in ways they understand.The simplest example of contextualization is learning a language. It would be irresponsible, not to mention futile, to present the gospel to Chinese-speaking people in English. Contextualization demands that we learn the language, but it does not end there. Because communication of the gospel isn’t only verbal, we must consider how we effectively communicate in both word and deed.The goal is clarity, therefore we consider language and other cultural norms. If someone must first learn our American cultural norms and expressions to understand the gospel, we have failed. Crossing cultures is the work of the missionary, not the one hearing the gospel. Missiologist J.D. Payne wrote, “Understanding context is important to our labors. Peoples are shaped and defined by cultures…When the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:14), God contextualized Himself as never before among a fallen people… [C]ontextualization should guide our efforts as best as possible. By God’s grace, the Church should strive to make sure the only stumbling block is the cross of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:23). Not our cultural expectations. Not our traditions. Not our preferences.6 UGOOGLE TRANSLATE Use Google Translate (translate.google.com) to translate the text of John 1:14 into random world languages (don’t print the reference). Print and hand it out in a different language to each participant, but do not tell them what it is. Each participant will “translate” the message they’ve been given for the group as best they can with no help. This activity very basically represents why contextualization is important. We translate the gospel message into cultures to avoid misunderstandings and make clear the good news of Jesus. 16 Contextualization can include everything from diet to work and rest habits to holidays and festivals to societal postures and signs of respect to economic status within a given culture. It also considers whether cultures are individualistic (e.g. Western cultures) or collectivistic (e.g. Eastern cultures), how they view honor and shame, whether they are patriarchal (majority world) or matriarchal (Philippines). It understands a culture’s political and religious history. Ask the participants: Have you ever personally explored another culture? Shopped in a Mexican grocery store? Eaten at a Lebanese restaurant? Visited the Chinatown in your area? If so, what have you seen or learned about the people and their culture? Encourage participants to explore another culture this week: be among different people, be uncomfortable, and observe. Encourage them to consider these questions: 1. What is good news to these people, and how is it addressed by the gospel? 2. What is one bridge into the gospel that I might use to engage someone in this culture? (Think Paul in Athens in Acts 17.) 3. What is one major barrier to the gospel for people in this culture? How might it be overcome? In answering these questions, they’ve begun the preliminary work of contextualization. Encourage them to return to their chosen places regularly (and prayerfully), try to build relationships, and work toward effectual, contextualized gospel presentation. Being among a certain people and living like them takes time and effort. It is a continual process because cultures are ever-evolving.There is hard work in developing these skills; yet, humbling ourselves and yielding to the preference of others is accomplished, most importantly, in prayer. CLOSING PRAYER Father, our tendency is toward self-satisfaction, but You chose service. We are conceited and prideful, whereas You were perfectly humble. Help us to humbly walk according to the mind of Christ You have graciously given us. Amen. 6 http://www.jdpayne.org/2015/01/14/if-youre-gonna-play-in-texas-you-gotta-have-a-fiddle-in-theband/#sthash.xM8fXHHs.dpuf. Emphasis added. 17 SESSION FOUR: ABANDON SAFETY FOCAL PASSAGE “ In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33b MISSION PRINCIPLE Priority and persecution – Following Jesus means trusting Him and letting go of our contingency plans, even when the world gives us tribulation and trouble. OBJECTIVE Students will recognize that following Christ on mission will lead them to the right place to be but not necessarily the safest. ADVANCE PREPARATION 1. G ather materials for the “Either/or” activity. (Read the description below and write the challenges on strips of paper.) Make sure the necessities are available for every instance possible. 2.P repare to show the videos, “The Insanity of God” video and “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” (Hillsong). Be careful to avoid or skip ads that may play on YouTube. 3.P rovide pen and paper for each participant. OVERVIEW A common misconception in Christian life is that the center of God’s will is the safest place for a Christian to be. Unfortunately, that is just not biblically sound thinking. It is the right place for Christ-followers to be, but it is often far from safe. Jesus’ words to His disciples that the world would hate them just as it hated Him should continually ring in our ears, because they are just as valid for those of us who follow Jesus today. Safety cannot be the final word if we are to obediently go where Christ sends us for His glory and the good of the world. U EITHER/OR Divide your group into two teams. This is a game played in rounds. For each round, choose one player from each team and alternate who is “player one” and “player two.” Player one is to select a folded piece of paper from a bowl or basket. Each paper has a challenge that reads, “Either player one must (insert player one’s challenge here), or player two must (insert player two’s challenge here).” Each piece of paper therefore should have two challenging tasks, such as “do 25 18 ” push ups” or “drink a cup of pickle juice” or “eat a jar of baby food” or “spin a bat around 15 times and run through a small obstacle course” or “swallow a mouthful of mustard.” (Avoid tasks that would be very embarrassing or involve food allergies.) Player one chooses either to complete his task, earning his team two points, or he may force player two to complete his task – earning that player’s team one point. Repeat until each individual on each team has participated (or as time allows). The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. The players will see that it is better for their team for player one to complete the task, but he will have to decide if it is personally worth the cost. Will he sacrifice himself for the good of someone else? Make the point that our faith demands that we constantly ask that question as well. God’s mission requires people who are willing to give of themselves for the good of others. OPENING PRAYER Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Pray that your time together would remind each participant of the glorious and beautiful Christ who is certainly worth our risking everything. IT? 0 WORTH • Moms who lifted cars off children by themselves… • Dads who risked their lives returning into a burning house to rescue family pets… • Friends who formed a human chain across a frozen lake to save other friends from an icy fate… These are all people who weighed a cause and found it worth the risk.What if the car had fallen on the mom? What if the dad had been overcome by smoke? What if the lake had given way beneath the friends? For each individual involved, the risk was worth it. Personal safety took a back seat in light of the known outcome if they did not act. This is where we find ourselves as believers.The cold, hard truth is that literally billions of people in the world stand on the precipice of an eternal, God-less existence. They face a literal hell, separated from God, which is the worst kind of torment, and most do not even realize it. Unless we act, they will not know of the reconciling work of Jesus on the cross, who suffered separation from the Father on our behalf so that we would not.We have been given the redemptive message of the cross along with the responsibility of reconciliation. If we, Jesus’ church, do not carry it out, no one will. The point of this information is not guilt; it is simply stating the facts. Guilt should not be a motivating factor for missions. In fact, we should not need a motivator, because mission is in our very identity as ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). It’s who we are; so, it’s what we do.There is much that remains to be done, and there is great cost for those of us who follow Jesus – those commissioned by Christ to carry it out – because He promised us there would be. It leaves us with a lingering question that constantly demands a response, “Are Christ and those He sends us to worth it?” 0 MISSION PRINCIPLE: PERSECUTION It’s difficult to imagine Jesus wrestling with the question, “Are they worth it?” That’s because He didn’t have to; He decided long before we ever existed that we are (Ephesians 1:4). He proved it when He came to earth knowing what He would face. People had chosen sin over God and needed reconciliation. He was their only hope; so, for the joy set before Him, he endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Christ loved the lost, through the cross, for the eternal joy of being seated at the right hand of the Father surrounded by those He redeemed. By way of His suffering, He brought “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). Suffering was no surprise to Jesus, and He prepared His disciples so when persecution came, it would not be a surprise to them, either. Nearing the time He would face the cross, Jesus taught them, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Comforting, right? Wouldn’t a nicer parting word be along the lines of, “Everything is going to be OK; you guys just hang in there. See you soon!” Instead, Jesus continued, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). But then He adds, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).These words are clear. If we follow Jesus, we will face persecution. Our peace must be found in Jesus, because the world will offer tribulation and trouble.The real peace is in knowing that Christ has overcome the world, but it does not void the rest of His teaching; persecution is a part of our reality. VIDEO: “THE INSANITY OF GOD” For most of us in the United States, real persecution is not a reality, nor is it a fear. American Christianity is often so comfortable that counting the costs of our faith doesn’t take very long. Nik and Ruth Ripkin were missionaries in Sudan who watched their fellow believers there lose everything, including their lives. Show this clip that introduces their story: vimeo.com/137497938. (Note:This clip is also a promo for Ripkin’s powerful and convicting book.) Discuss the following: 1. How would you define persecution? 2. Does missions and ministry always have a happy ending? 3. Have you or has anyone you know experienced persecution for faith in Jesus? How was it handled? What carried you/them through the suffering? 0 PRIORITY Abandoning our safety doesn’t only apply to physical safety; it also can mean letting go of our contingencies. For instance, you may believe God is leading you to a certain place, people, or job for His purposes; so you follow, but you devise an exit strategy just in case you need it. Lingering in the back of your mind is a fallback – a safety net in the off-chance you are unsuccessful where God has led you.You’ve probably learned your whole life that safety is a good thing, and it is in many cases. 19 Contingencies are common in nearly every area of our lives. As children we had fallbacks for friends.They were kids who were OK to hang out with, but not nearly as fun as others. If everyone else was busy, the fallback kid got the call.When we date, there’s always a fallback, just in case. College applications – fallback. Majors in college – fallback. Career tracks – fallback. Contingencies are not necessarily a bad thing in and of themselves. The problem comes when we begin to place our trust in our contingencies instead of placing it in the Lord. It is when we say “Yes!” to the Lord only because we know we can always go back to whatever else we had planned. Fully committing ourselves to God’s mission requires that we let go of all the contingent plans and devote ourselves fully to His leadership, no matter the cost and no matter the outcome. c CONTINGENCIES Break into pairs for discussion and prayer. Have students ask one another the following questions, write down the answers for accountability, and pray for one another: 1. What are your contingencies in regards to things God has led you to do? Where have you not fully trusted the Lord, or where are you in danger of not trusting Him? Help the participants think practically through friendships, dating relationships, college plans, career dreams/goals, etc. Encourage them to be honest with one another, knowing that none of them is alone in their struggles. 2. What is necessary for you to release your contingencies? What do the Scriptures teach us about trusting the Lord (not just that we should trust, but how)? Listen to the groups and share common struggles with everyone. Encourage them with these practical suggestions for growing their faith during the following week: 1. Faith is a gift of God that comes through hearing His Word (Romans 10:16-17). Make a list this week of every Bible verse you can find that speaks to His trustworthiness. Read and add to it daily. 2. Our faith is strengthened when we exercise it. We deepen our ability to step out on faith by, well, stepping out on faith.Trust the Lord in something new this week—share the gospel with someone you’ve been afraid to talk to (Luke 12:11-12), settle on a decision in prayer that you’ve been wavering on (James 1:5), or give to someone in need trusting God to meet your own needs (Philippians 4:19). 20 0 FOCUS In preparing His disciples for the various trials they would face, Jesus sought to encourage them by discussing His own. In John 16, Jesus told His disciples He knew He was going to face the atrocities of the cross without them.Yet, He knew He would not be alone; the Father was with Him (vv. 32-33). In the same way, Stephen, the first martyr of the church, had a very particular focus in his final moments. He offered an impassioned plea to the Jewish leaders to recognize the truth about Jesus, whom they refused, and the rocks hurtled his direction. In his final moments, however, he fixed his eyes on Jesus, whom he saw in a vision standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56). In each case, throughout the suffering they faced, Jesus and Stephen fixed their eyes heavenward. What they saw was so glorious that painful, bloody death paled in comparison. SONG: “TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS” As a way to meditate on the need to trust in Jesus no matter the difficulty, play or sing the song, “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus.” A version performed by Hillsong is at: youtube.com/watch?v=czxd5oa-gi0. CLOSING PRAYER Pray through 1 Peter 4:12-16. Simply pray that it would be true of each of those in the group: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you…If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” 21 SESSION FIVE: ABANDON INDIVIDUALISM FOCAL PASSAGE “ I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20-21 MISSION PRINCIPLE Unity – Missions is a team effort. OBJECTIVE Students will see that mission is meant to be a group effort, under Christ’s leadership, by the power of the Spirit, through the church. There is no room for individualism. ADVANCE PREPARATION 1. P redetermine the tasks for the “Body Parts” activity. Gather any props you might need for your chosen tasks. 2.Be prepared to show the David Platt video and the clip on Christian unity in missions. OVERVIEW Individualism, particularly within American culture, is often considered a virtue. We Americans value our own space, our own time, and our own personal freedoms. Within God’s kingdom, however, the emphasis is on the collective whole. God called a people to Himself and sends that people – the church – into the world as ambassadors. If we are to meaningfully engage in God’s mission, then, we must also value the unity of God’s people in sending. PARTS UBODY Divide your group into teams of four. Each group represents a body, with one team member as the ears, another as the mouth, one as the feet, and the last as the hands. Assign a task to each “body,” with each individual only carrying out what his/her corresponding body part can do. Begin by giving the task to the “mouth” who whispers the task to the “ears.” The ears cannot speak, so they use charades to communicate the message to the “hands.” The hands write the message for the “feet,” who (blindfolded) carries the message to the “head.” The head then performs the task. Whichever team finishes quickest and/or correctly wins. The tasks can be menial, e.g. draw a smiley face on the chalkboard, place the blue cup 22 ” inside the red cup, or spike like a football. Each part of the body must function according to its gifting, as well as together as one entity, in order to complete the task at hand. OPENING PRAYER Have someone read Ephesians 4:1-6 – “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Pray for wisdom, understanding, and humility as you wrestle together with what Scripture has to say about unity of the body of Christ and individualism. IS THE CHURCH, ANYWAY? 0 WHO Jesus’ prayer in John 17 places principal interest in a particular group of people being unified. Those people are Christ’s followers, whom He called out of the world (vv. 14, 16; John 15:19) and sent back into the world (v. 18). Those are not only the people who walked with Jesus while He was on the earth; they are anyone who believes in Him through their words (v. 20). That includes us. Jesus prayed that all of His followers would be unified. In Matthew 16:18, He gave a name to the collective of those people He called out of the world. He told Peter that He would build His “church.” The Greek word in the text is actually ekklesia, which means “called out ones.” In the context of John 17, then, the church is those people Jesus called out of the world and sent back in. A simple Google search will reveal endless definitions of “church” that dive into theologically deep waters we have neither time nor need for here. But it is important that we have at least a basic understanding of what the church is. For our purposes, we will define the church as the New Covenant expression of the people of God. Under the Old Covenant, Israel was God’s people; under the New Covenant, membership in God’s family was opened wide through Jesus. All who claim membership in Christ are a part of His church. That’s a lot of people, and for us to accomplish the mission for which Jesus sent us into the world, we must organize. Enter the local church. All of God’s people are meant to participate in the mission and the local church is the avenue by which we are able to do so. It is a collection of God’s people who live and worship and serve together. Churches practice the ordinances of baptism and communion. They engage together in worship, prayer, Bible study, fellowship, evangelism, discipleship, and ministry. They follow biblically qualified leadership and submit to the practice of church discipline. They are families who gather, but they also are agencies for sending people on mission. Christ commissioned and sent us all, but that sending is carried out under the auspices of the local church. VIDEO: “MISSIONS STRATEGY: BOTTOM UP, NOT TOP DOWN” IMB president David Platt speaks about the responsibility and role of the local church in the mission in this video: youtube.com/watch?v=UtQsGRwEiXg. Watch it together and discuss these points: • “Sending” implies a team. One person cannot send himself anywhere. He can go alone, but he cannot be sent. Why is it better to be sent? • What changes when churches take more responsibility in sending out workers? TOGETHER 0 BETTER When Jesus sent His disciples on mission, He did not send them alone (Luke 10:1). He sent them in pairs, and people have been speculating as to why ever since. Some of the best commentary on not going alone was penned by Paul to the Corinthian church. In 1 Corinthians 12, he wrote that there are many different types of gifts, but they all originate from the same God, “who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ…But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose…Now you are the body of Christ and individ- ually members of it” (vv. 11-12, 18, 27). He went on to further clarify that people are gifted differently on purpose (vv. 28-30). The really interesting part of this discussion comes when we ask, “Why?” Why is there such a need for unity with diversity of gifts?” The first part of that answer is easy: Because no one among us can do everything. We simply need each other. It’s logical. We need to abandon individualism, but embrace our individuality – the way God designed each of us to function. For instance, if I were restoring an old car, but only had knowledge of interior upholstery, I would need help, right? I would need someone who could work on the mechanics of the car – the engine, wheels, and brakes, someone who could sand and paint the exterior, and maybe someone who could help me secure hard-to-find parts. Apart from the interior, the restoration project would be beyond my capabilities. I would need a team. Beyond the practical, there is a spiritual reality revealed. Recall the end of our focal passage, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Jesus analogizes in His prayer and offers us a peek into the great mystery of our relationship with God. He says something to the effect of, “If A is like B, then C will occur.” Using His relationship with the Father (in effect, the communal nature of the Trinity) as the example, He prays that His followers would be one, as well, thereby showing the world that He was sent by the Father. He said that if we relate to one another and with Him in unity, we reflect the unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit, and thereby, the world knows that Jesus is who He says He is. Relating to one another in that way is not natural for us. In doing so, then, we demonstrate God’s power to unify His diverse people. Similarly, Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). Our counter-cultural love and unity cause the world to see our God as glorious. 23 0 DYSFUNCTIONAL We are certainly better when we are together, but “better” does not mean we are still “good” when we’re apart. When we fail to unify, we are broken. We are dysfunctional. We are maimed. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ But God has so composed the body…that there may be no division in the body…If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:16-26). The only way the body can operate and effectively carry out the mission is together. There is no other option. VIDEO: “WHY UNITY IN CHRIST’S MISSION” Watch this short video on Christian unity in mission: vimeo.com/92484009. Discuss the ideas from the teaching above and in the video from the passages in John. Address these questions: 1. How is it possible that we display our love for one another if we are divided? 2. How can the world see our love for one another if it is only manifested in the confines of our worship gatherings? (Christ requires, then, that we are unified in full view of the world – on mission.) 3. Name three ways you can practice unity with your team on the upcoming mission trip (shared responsibility, conflict resolution, encouraging those who may have what are perceived as either “lesser” or “better” gifts than you, etc.). 4. Name three ways you can practice unity within your local church once you return from the trip. 5. How can you practically embrace your various gifts yet prioritize unity on the trip? In your local church once you return? 0 MISSIONAL PRINCIPLE Barnabas. John. John Mark. Silas. Epaphroditus. Aquila and Priscilla. These were all partners in Paul’s missionary journeys, along with many others. No doubt Paul knew both the dangers of going alone and the power of unity in the mission, so he always worked with others. He was away from co-workers only when he sent them to communicate with someone else and then return, or at times when he was imprisoned – that is, he was never alone by choice. Paul practiced the principle taught by the One he followed, Jesus, who always worked within the relationship of the Trinity and often with at least one other person (but often several people). Going it alone was simply not an option. Throughout his letters to the churches, Paul also continually expressed his need and 24 desire for their partnership in the mission. For the same reasons that Paul desired and demanded partnership, we also desire and prioritize it. Most churches and organizations that send people on mission, whether local or global, place an extremely high value on team. Doing so protects the individuals involved and provides a way by which the triune love of God is expressed through the activity of His people. Unity requires intentionality. Encourage the students to practice unity this week by inviting others into tasks they might normally undertake alone (cleaning, working on a car, crafting, writing a song, etc.). Have them invite someone in who is gifted differently than they are and hand off an important part of the task. The point is to create interdependency, not to simply work on a task together. Have them divide the work load in such a way that they must cooperate to complete it. Follow up in the next session. If the students have never explored their own spiritual gifts, encourage them to do so with their local church leadership. CLOSING PRAYER Father, make us one, just as you and Christ are one, that the world may know You sent Him and believe. 25 SESSION SIX: ABANDON ALL FOR CHRIST’S GLORY FOCAL PASSAGE “ He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30 MISSION PRINCIPLE Worship is both the fuel and goal of mission. OBJECTIVE Students will be challenged to understand that since God is the destination of mission, the practice of God-focused, joy-inducing worship is essential for mission. ADVANCE PREPARATION 1. Procure UNO cards. 2.Prepare to show the video clips of Matt Papa’s song “I Must Decrease” and John Piper on idols. An option is the video clip, “In the Business of Hope.” Be careful to avoid or skip ads that may play on YouTube. OVERVIEW To worship anyone or anything other than God is idolatry. Most believers would agree with that statement, right? They may not agree, however, on what it means to worship, which allows them to carry on in some pretty damaging practices. Our biggest hurdle to overcome in order to join Christ on mission is a bitter pill to swallow: it is us. We must learn to abandon all things – our ambition, our idols, and our very lives – in humility for the glory of Christ among the nations. Ours is a call to come and die… U UNO This session’s activity is simple: play the game of UNO. You may not have time for a full game, but it is a wonderful example of the pursuit of less. The purpose is to rid yourself of everything you have in order to win. Make the connection that the same is true in the Christian life and missions. We are meant to abandon all for the sake of Christ and His mission. It is a tale of successes and failures, but it is for His glory, our good, and our joy. ” OPENING PRAYER Read Psalm 73:25-26 together: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Pray that amidst the alluring draw of everything that shines and is beautiful in the world, each student would see God as more beautiful, more worthy of attention and focus, and worthy of their worship. Pray that seeing God in that manner would lead them to abandon all that hinders their worshipful obedience to His leadership in pointing others to see Him as glorious, as well. DECREASE 0 I MUST John the Baptist’s life and ministry came about at a unique transitional time in history. His was the voice calling in the wilderness that had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah (40:3). His ministry – his purpose in life – was to prepare people for the coming Messiah. Literally everything was about to change. Jesus would fulfill every prophecy, law, and religious practice of God’s people. So, John was bridging the gap between the old covenant and the new. God was silent for 400 years, and He broke the silence through a man in camel hair wandering the desert eating bugs and calling out, “Prepare the way of the Lord!” So, John the Baptist was kind of a big deal. Speaking the words of God and preparing the way for the Messiah were no small tasks. He was a bit of a rebel rock star. He baptized people, which was not new for Jews, but he did so very differently than it had been done before. Ritual washing and baptism were normal parts of Jewish life, but they were normally carried out by priests in the temple, not a guy in fur at the river. He baptized many, many people, including Jesus; so he was an important figure in a pivotal time in redemptive history. As important as he was, however, he had to remember his place. He was not Jesus. He knew there was one coming after him whose sandals he was not worthy to untie. John was important only because he pointed people to the coming Messiah. He had to hand everything over to Jesus. 26 In John 3, John the Baptist’s followers saw Jesus across the river baptizing people. Everyone went to Him, so John’s disciples asked him what was going on. They saw the writing on the wall, as well. “If Jesus is the Messiah, then our work must be coming to an end,” they thought. Knowing their struggle, John answered them, “A person cannot receive anything unless it is given him from heaven…He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:27, 30). In other words, he told them that what was happening was meant to happen. He had been given his ministry by the Lord, but the time had come for Christ to take the place of prominence. After years of preparation in the desert and a powerful ministry that drew the attention of everyone around, it was time for his star to fade. He must decrease in order that Christ might be glorified. SONG: “I MUST DECREASE” Listen to Matt Papa’s song “I Must Decrease” (available at youtube.com/watch?v=Wm06u1sVhb4). Discuss the following: 1. H ow can you practically “decrease” in your own life? What does that even mean? 2.The disciples of John were dealing with an ego problem when they asked him what was up with this Jesus guy baptizing more people than him. Their pride caused them to question what was happening. Our pride often stands in the way, as well. Following Christ is easy when we get to be the rock star but less so when we don’t. To overcome pride we can: a. S tudy what the Bible says about it. Begin with James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5. b. M editate on Scripture and allow it to transform your heart. c. R emember, you have nothing that was not given to you from heaven (John 3:27). Apart from Christ, you are nothing. d. R emember that Christ is above everything (John 3:31). e. Practice humility by looking for ways to encourage and promote the work and ministry of others. f. E levate the result of the work over the need to do it yourself. The important part is that Christ’s mission is accomplished, not that it is accomplished through you. g. Pray for humility, but don’t be surprised when opportunities to express it come. DOWN YOUR IDOLS 0 THROW One of the greatest problems Christianity faces is the divisive nature of Christians who work to build their own kingdoms instead of praying for God’s to come. We are often less concerned for the harvest than for who gets credit for working in it. Those are harsh words, but they reflect the weight of Jesus’ own words to those who would follow Him into the harvest, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26). IS MY MOTIVE? c WHAT Break your group into pairs and have them ask one another a few questions. After they are done, come back together and invite volunteers to share their answers. 1. As you prepare for this trip, how are you working to ensure that your motives are pure? Is there any part of you that is going for selfish, prideful reasons? Confess those to one another. 2. How would you feel on this trip if you shared your faith but saw no fruit, while someone else was able to lead several people to Christ? Could you honestly celebrate that Christ was exalted, or would you feel the tinge of envy? 3. H ow can you change your heart (that is, allow the Lord to do so) as you prepare? 0 IDOLATRY Anything you derive ultimate fulfillment from that is not God is idolatry. Anything you worship other than God is an idol. Everyone has idols, and everyone is an idolater. Everyone, you included. Our idols are numerous and varied, from fame to fortune to sex and everything in between. We can idolize relationships, abilities, possessions, achievements – anything we can have or do, including ministry. In large part, what we do in order to abandon all for the sake of Christ is abandon our idols. We walk away from all that we desire in order to pursue that which He desires. Jesus was walking with His disciples one day and heard them discussing who was greatest among them. He dropped a bombshell, “If anyone would be first, 27 he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Boom! Drops mic and walks away. Jesus taught His followers that they would not only serve Him, but each other and everyone around them. They would be humbled, so that He would be exalted. Their idol of self-worth and recognition would tumble and give way to service. That is His command for us, as well. In order to follow Christ, we must abandon all, decimating our idols in the process, and pursue His desires in all humility. VIDEO AND DISCUSSION: “WHAT ARE MY IDOLS?” Lead a discussion on personal idols. Ask the students to vocalize their idols, but only after you, the leader, vocalize yours. Discuss how you can lay down those idols. This video from John Piper may be helpful: youtube.com/watch?v=hZNabNqwCVw. •H ow can you come to view Christ as more glorious and more worthy of your worship than all of those other things? • What needs to change in order to overcome your idols? Help students identify some specific action steps. (If appearance is an idol, they may need to cancel the subscription to magazines or block websites; if hobbies are an idol, they may need to stop or seriously regulate them, which will involve accountability; if relationships are an idol, they may need to end or be regulated, as well. None of those things needs to be handled lightly, but in prayer and the wisdom of much counsel through their local church leadership). OPTIONAL VIDEO: “IN THE BUSINESS OF HOPE” As an option, illustrate the challenge of idolatry in another cultural context. Show the video, “In the Business of Hope,” found at vimeo.com/69157357. • What can we learn about our own idolatry in observing this context? • Why does idolatry lead to hopelessness? • Why is turning from idols to God a joyful thing? PRINCIPLE 0 MISSION Idolatry is not an issue only for believers; it is a universal problem. In fact, John Piper wrote that “mission exists because worship doesn’t.”7 It’s not that worship doesn’t exist at all; it is that right worship – worship of the Most High God – doesn’t exist in the world, so missions must. The world has its idols, and it worships them incessantly. Our role in missions is to call people 28 to throw down their idols just as we throw down ours, for the joy of casting their gaze on our glorious Savior. Piper again says, “Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal in missions. It is the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God’s glory…But worship is also the fuel of missions…You can’t commend what you don’t cherish.”8 So, there it is. We commend Christ through our worship – through our willingness to abandon all for His sake. We demonstrate that He is good when we say, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John the Baptist, facing the turning point in his ministry, was not dismayed, but filled with joy. “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.Therefore this joy of mine is now complete” (John 3:29).This is our call – to abandon all for the glory of Christ among the nations. This is also the result – joy in the exalted Christ. CLOSING PRAYER Pray Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:14-19: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” May this be true of each of us. Amen. John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010), p. 35. 8 Ibid. 7 PRAYER RESOURCES “ Prayer is primarily a wartime talkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief.9 As Jesus prepared to send His disciples on mission in Luke 10, He began, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray…” (10:2). Then He gave them specifics about how they should communicate the gospel to new people. The priority and beginning point, however, was prayer. Jesus’ life stood as an example of that priority. He constantly spoke about communion with the Father and withdrew at times to participate in it. ” Prayer is an absolute must for we who are sent into the harvest on God’s mission. In missions, you will never pray too much. The people you will serve and your leaders at the project need much prayer. Whether as a team or as individuals, we implore you as to spend time in prayer. Here are a few practical suggestions for prayer for anyone preparing to engage in a mission trip: 1. P ray the Scriptures. Nowhere is God’s heart for the nations more clearly seen than in His revealed Word. Meditate on His words so they become yours, as well, and pray that He might use you to make them a reality in our world. 2. P ray for your team. Jesus specified in Luke 10 that His followers should pray that the Father would send workers into the harvest. He is doing just that by sending you and your team. Pray for boldness in proclaiming the gospel in word and deed (Ephesians 6:18-19; Acts 4:29-31). 3. P ray for the salvation of those to whom you are sent, that God would release by His Holy Spirit “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). Jesus prayed for all who would hear the gospel in His High Priestly prayer (John 17:20). Join Him in that prayer. 4. P ray with others in unity. Enlist others to join you in prayer. “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Jesus prayed that we “may all be one…so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). So let it be. 9 Piper, p. 44 29 GROUP PRAYER STRATEGY • L ead each person in your group to enlist a prayer support network. Ask each participant to recruit at least two prayer partners. Instruct the student to ask each prayer partner to commit to pray for this project for a determined amount of time each day or during a certain day each week. •A rm group members with a specific list of prayer requests. Below is a general idea, but try to direct their prayers as specifically as possible for your project and your people group: •P ray for the project leadership to be wise, discerning and full of grace. •P ray that God will glorify Christ through this project. •P ray for opportunities to share your faith. •P ray for boldness as you witness. •P ray for God to prepare the hearts of the people you will encounter. •P ray for cultural sensitivity and understanding. •P ray for team unity. •P ray for local believers at your project to be encouraged and strengthened. •P ray for favor with other nationals and opportunities to build relationships. •P ray for the missionaries to find new doorways to ministry. •P ray for safety in travel and health on the field. • P ray for humility and a flexible spirit. •P ray for protection from loneliness and depression. •P ray for peace of mind for family in the U.S. •P ray for churches in the country to reach out to meet the needs of the people around them. •P ray for the Lord to send more laborers into the harvest fields. •P ray that lost people will become open to hearing about Jesus and will accept Him as their Lord. • P ray for those in positions of leadership within the country—for their salvation and witness. •P ray that God will use your mission experience to create a passion in you for missions. 30 • P lan a fasting experience. Work together with your group and prayer network to pick a suitable day for a partial or full fast. Make sure students have parental permission and are physically/medically suitable for a food fast. (Offer alternative fasts for those who should not go without eating.) Provide a simple prayer guide for participants to use during the day as they fast. •C onduct a prayerwalk for your team. Information and suggestions for a prayerwalk are available in this section. • L ead your church or ministry to pray for the people group you will serve on mission. Research them through a website such as peoplegroups.org. Consider using the “30-Day Prayer Guide for Unreached People,” also available at imbstudents.org/iwcmore. PRAYERWALKING Isn’t it easier for you to pray passionately for someone who is close to you—someone you can see and interact with—than it is to pray for someone you have never met, living in a country you have never visited? Christians are called to take their prayers with them beyond their church buildings and classrooms and homes. The strategy of prayerwalking grew out of the recognition that it is easier to pray for people, situations and countries in tangible settings rather than in the abstract. Prayerwalking is intentional, observant, and intercessory praying in a special location where you wish to see God at work. It is looking for insight, discovering needs, and seeing people and settings through God’s eyes. It is asking God to prepare people’s heart for salvation and to engineer their circumstances so they can come to know and love Jesus. Prayerwalking has become an essential element in missions. In some ways it is a “spiritual reconnaissance,” but even more importantly, a way to “get on the same page” with God and partner with Him in what He wants to do. In recent years God has been calling intercessors to walk streets, sidewalks and dirt trails around the world and pray without ceasing for the people in their immediate surroundings. We encourage you to practice prayerwalking as preparation for your mission project and then plan to incorporate prayerwalking into your project on a daily basis. Prayerwalking takes practice and discipline, but it can result in valuable discernment and spiritual breakthroughs. By prayerwalking before the project, you will allow the Holy Spirit to prepare your own heart for the mission and gain a comfort level in this form of ministry. Here are a few suggestions to set up a prayerwalk: • Choose a location with care. In preparation for your overseas mission project, consider an immigrant neighborhood or community. As an alternative, conduct the prayerwalk in partnership with a local ministry. •B ecome familiar with the historical, cultural and spiritual background of the place you will prayerwalk. Plan to draw on this information as you pray. •P repare to become burdened for the people you see, the community, and the country. • S chedule plenty of time for the prayerwalk. An hour is minimal. Experienced prayerwalkers will need and want more time. •B e sensitive to the age group and experience level of your group. Student groups function best in a prayerwalk when they are given a written guide with specific suggestions. •M ap out a route.You want all your energy to be focused on praying, not on finding your way home. •P ray together as a group before beginning the prayerwalk. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your steps and your prayers as you walk. Pray that you will begin to see the place you are in through Christ’s eyes. •P ray with others. Praying in pairs or in teams opens an important dimension of intercession. If in a large group, spread out in pairs or trios to cover more ground and be less obtrusive. •P ray as specifically as possible. Be alert to your surroundings. Look for prompts along the way to guide your prayers. God will bring you into contact with people, places, and situations precisely so that you will lift them up to Him. “ We were really down because we hadn’t seen anyone come to Christ, and we felt as though there was something not right, like we were holding something back. It was a Sunday night, and we were having our team prayer time. John opened up and said that he felt like we were holding back the power of God because we were trying to do everything ourselves and weren’t letting God take control and lead us. He spoke for all of us—we all knew something was wrong. We sat down and prayed for a good long while, totally pouring our hearts out to God, crying, begging and seeking forgiveness for not letting Him be in control. As we prayed, we asked God to break open our hearts and pour out in our lives and in the town that week so that His power might be known. We prayed that He, not our team, would touch lives. That week we had 80-100 kids in Bible school each night. We saw 14 of them come to Christ. We have since learned that they continue going to chapel and studying their Bibles! I really learned what a difference it does make when God does the touching. God really showed us what He had in store for the summer and how He wanted to use us. I know I speak for the four of us when I say that we learned how mighty and powerful our Lord Jesus is! - Ayse Boswell, student missionary to Wales Learn more about prayerwalking. Download the free booklet, Prayerwalking – An Orientation Guide at media1.imbresources.org/ files/85/8522/8522-46575.pdf. This is an excerpt from a book by Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick called Prayerwalking (Creation House, Lake Mary, FL, 1993). ” Engage in a virtual prayerwalk for Unengaged, Unreached, People Groups (UUPGs). Find this at imb.org/pray. 31 AN INTRODUCTORY PRAYERWALK As a step toward preparing a team for ministry, prayerwalking, and evangelism on a mission trip, consider this prayerwalk experience in your own church or ministry facility. Prayer station 1 – Adoration and praise: Choose a solitary place on the grounds of your church or facility. Take this time to lift up the name of God in praise and adoration. Look around at all the things God has made. Pause to look at the sky.What colors do you see? Are there clouds? Are there plants or trees around you? Look at the detail in the leaves, the flower pedals, the stem or trunk. Are there people, animals or insects around you? Observe their movement.Thank God for all the wonderful things He has made and for being our Creator.Then praise Him for the life He has given you, for every breath you take; and most importantly, for the gift of His son, Jesus. Praise Him for answered prayers and for making provisions. Praise Him for the difficult times and times of challenge–for being our Hope. Prayer station 2 – Confession: Choose a typical classroom. Take time to evaluate your reason for participating in your mission project. Consider your attitude about the preparation, the commitment required, and your expectations of the experience. Confess to God the areas of your life in which you may need your attitude adjusted in order to be fully committed to Him and to the task that is ahead. Acknowledge that you need God to complete the task and be in full accordance with His will. Prayer station 3 – Thanksgiving: Move to the worship center or sanctuary. Find a place among the pews or chairs. Thank God for your church and for its commitment to missions and to seeing the lost come to know Christ. Thank God for the opportunity to serve Him. Thank Him for choosing you to be His child. Thank God for those in your church who have provided support and encouragement to you and to others preparing for this mission project. Recall specific names of people who have spoken a kind word, made a financial contribution, taught a study session, prayed for participants, etc. Thank God in advance for His protection and for the lives that will be changed as a result of your efforts in Christ. Prayer station 4 – Thanksgiving: Find a broom/supply closet or kitchen. Thank God for the many people who have been diligently working on the logistics of your mission project. Thank Him for providing a lodging facility. Thank Him for the person(s) who will be 32 preparing meals, providing transportation, keeping the facility clean, serving as a nurse, providing leadership on the work sites and ministry sites, etc. Prayer station 5 – Supplication: Go to a playground or children’s classroom. Pray for the children who need to be reached at your mission project. Perhaps you and your group will participate in day camps, Vacation Bible Schools or other ministries with children. Even if not, pray for the children who live in the communities in which you will be serving. Pray for opportunities to share the love of Jesus with them. Prayer station 6 – Supplication: Find a parking lot. Pray for God’s protection as you travel to and from the mission project and for His traveling mercies during your project. Lift up other teams and individuals you know who will be traveling and serving at various ministry sites in North America and around the world. Pray for the health of everyone on your project. Prayer station 7 – Intercession: Find the baptistery or altar. Remember the ultimate goal is to see Christ glorified. Pray for people to come to know Christ. Pray that as physical or emotional needs are met, this would lead to the greater need of spiritual transformation being met. Pray for those with whom you will come in contact who have no knowledge of Christ, as well as those who have heard the good news yet have no desire for it. Pray for those who know Christ and have accepted His gift of salvation but are longing for restoration of a spirit that has been broken, a hope that has disappeared. EVANGELISM RESOURCES “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:13-14). One of the most significant elements of spiritual readiness for the mission field is your preparation for evangelism.You should be able to share a brief testimony (in five minutes or less) about how and why you became a Christian and the impact of Christ on your life now.You also should have a clear understanding of the gospel and be able to share how a person can repent and believe in Christ. • S olarium is a Campus Crusade resource that uses pictures to start a spiritual dialogue. •E vangeCube is a dynamic, graphic presentation of the gospel making use of a cube as a tool that makes sharing your faith simple. Compose and practice using your personal testimony. There are numerous ways to use a personal testimony in missions. For people new to sharing their faith, it is helpful to think through and write out their testimony in a way that is most relevant in the context. “Ready to testify” is included in this section to assist in this. Keep in mind that your testimony is not limited to one story, or a three-step process in coming to accept Christ. In fact, missionary hosts often encourage volunteers to share about God from their recent experience. Learn a simple presentation of the gospel. There are numerous ways to share the gospel and present your faith to others. Be sure to dialogue with field host so you will understand what will work best in the context of your project and people group. In every case, however, there is no better preparation than your own personal experience and practice of sharing your faith with others. Learning a presentation is no substitute for actually using it. Look for opportunities now to be a witness. Discover evangelism tools and training you can use. IMB Students offers a version of Creation to Christ (C2C), a storying method that is used in many places in the world, especially with oral cultures. It involves a brief walk through the major messages of the Bible, leading up to death and resurrection of Christ. See more information about C2C in this section. Some other good resources are: •M y 8 is an evangelism training resource available at Lifeway Resources. • S hare Jesus without Fear is an individual book and group study also offered by Lifeway. 33 READY TO TESTIFY 1. Compose your personal testimony. a. R emember to keep it short and simple so it can be translated and shared with the people in the host country you will serve. Don’t use long words, jokes, and idioms— they don’t translate easily. b. Y ou should avoid giving “TMI” (too much information) about the sin in your life. Similarly, it’s best not to talk about the cost of your trip. It’s fine to say that God provided the money, just don’t refer to specific dollar amounts. The cost of your trip may be much more than the annual income of many people overseas. c. T ry not to use familiar but confusing religious expressions like “washed in the blood of the Lamb” or “I invited Jesus into my heart.” d. H ere’s a testimony preparation guide: i. Introduce yourself, where you live, what you do, and why you are in the country. ii. Describe your life before becoming a Christian. What was it like to live without Christ? iii. Explain how you became a Christian. What was the pivotal point in your life, the turning point? iv. Relate what it means to be a Christian. What has been the impact of Christ on your life? Use Scriptures that are meaningful to you here. 2. Practice sharing your testimony. a. L ook for ways to bring Jesus into a conversation. It does not have to be mysterious. Ask questions about what personal beliefs, such as God, Jesus, life after death, and what is wrong with the world. When it’s your turn to share, use your testimony. 34 b. R ecognize natural transitions in conversation by listening well. People will often tell you their need for the gospel if you listen closely. The more you learn about a person, the more you will understand exactly how the gospel is good news to them. c. A sk permission to talk about Christ. 3. Be prepared to lead someone to faith. a. E xplain how others can have a similar experience as yours.You need to clearly and simply present the steps to salvation and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. b. Creation to Christ is a wonderful tool for sharing the gospel, and is introduced in this material. Learn the stories and the “big picture” of the gospel in the Bible. c. There are many good ways to share the gospel. Consult with your missionary host to learn what will be best on your mission project. Some other ways to present the gospel are “The Bridge to Life” (Navigators), the “Three Circles” (NAMB) and the “Four Spiritual Laws” (Cru). d. N o matter the tool or testimony you use, be ready to invite a response.You might ask something like, “Do you want to let Jesus bring you back to God?” CREATION TO CHRIST (C2C) (Watch students share the C2C stories at imbstudents.org/c2c.) One of the best ways to share the message of the Bible is through its stories. Individual stories speak powerfully, but in linking those stories into their larger narrative, the message is even stronger. Many believers, and especially students, may not have a handle on the comprehensive view of the gospel and God’s mission that comes from a “creation to Christ” overview. What is Creation to Christ? The gospel is the big story of how God has worked from the beginning of time to bring salvation to man. It begins with the creation of the world and goes through the resurrection and rule of Christ. Creation to Christ storying involves telling smaller biblical stories in the order in which they happened as part of the connected narrative of Scripture. Usually this means beginning with creation and moving sequentially through at least the resurrection of Jesus. •D ivide students into pairs and ask them to alternate in reading the Scriptures and sharing one of the stories in their own words with each other. Repeat this as time allows so they get personal experience in sharing as many of the stories as possible. • L ead a Bible study series that walks through all 12 stories over the course of a semester. Incorporate time in each study for students to discuss and practice sharing that particular story. • E ncourage students to share one of the stories with a lost person. Make this a regular reminder. Create a brief report time in regular worship or Bible study time where students can share their experiences in using C2C. Tell me more about storying! For more information about storying, see the IMB website oralitystrategies.org. Why this approach? Most of those in an unreached people group (UPG) have little or no basis for understanding key tenets of the gospel message, like sin, salvation, heaven, the cross, and the divinity of Christ. Others have a faulty understanding of Christianity and the Bible, meaning that they will not be “on the same page” with you in your spiritual conversations. This is becoming very much prevalent in the U.S., but also throughout the West. Creation to Christ starts at the beginning with who God is and summarizes the key stories of the Old Testament to build a case for humanity’s separation from God and the need for salvation from God. The IMB Students version IMB Students offers a visual presentation of Creation to Christ that includes 12 stories with images and a brief summary of each story. The images simply serve as a prompt for an individual to use in sharing the stories. A C2C Bandanna is available for purchase at imbresources.org. You can download the outline, artwork, and a video for free at imbstudents.org/c2c. Suggestions for teaching C2C •D ownload the C2C outline and distribute copies to your students. Briefly introduce each story and image. An alternative is to show the C2C video (about six minutes in length). 35 STUDENT DEVOTIONS “ But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24). What do you think of when you hear the word abandon? Do you think of someone dropping out? Do you think of giving up? The definition of the word abandon is “give up completely (a course of action, a practice, or a way of thinking).” By this definition it sounds like we must give up ourselves. Exactly. This is what Christ desires of us. We must abandon all so that God will receive all the glory through our lives! In the song, “Touch the Sky” by Hillsong United, there is a line that says, “My heart beating, my soul breathing, I found my life when I laid it down.” That is what abandoning ourselves for God looks like. In abandonment we don’t really lose out—we actually find our lives. We find strength, freedom, peace, love, and we find God. Like Paul mentions in the book of Acts, we abandon our life and do not count it as precious to ourselves so we may “testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” The devotions in this book will help get you to the point of abandoning all for the cause of Christ. These devotions are grouped into six different sections. Each will challenge you to abandon something in order to be refined into who Christ wants you to be. When you leave for your project, your life can be in complete submission to fulfilling God’s mission: His glory across the earth. Here’s an overview: 36 • The first week will challenge you to look at God and His mission from a big perspective. • The second week will show you what it means to “die to yourself” and live for God’s glory. • The third week will help you give up your expectations.Your only expectation will be to see God move. • The fourth week will help you overcome your fears. • The fifth week will show you the way to be freed from shame. Many people are held in bondage by secret sins or incidents from their past. Know that God desires to free you through the power of what Christ did on the cross. • The final week will challenge you to live for God’s glory and not your own. ” God loves you more than you can ever imagine. He desires to use you in ways you have never seen as you go on your trip. First, however, He wants you to abandon everything, including your life, for His sake and His alone. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to abandon? About the writer: Rahul Agarwal is the campus missionary for the Tampa area Baptist Collegiate Ministries. He is married to Annie and has four kids who provide free entertainment daily. His love for technology (and self-proclaimed geekness) has fueled his desire to reach college students for Christ. Follow him on Twitter: @takethebrownpil (only one “L”), #firstworldproblems or on Facebook: fb.com/takethebrownpill. SUGGESTIONS FOR USING THESE DEVOTIONS These individual devotions are designed to be used before your mission project.They are related to the group studies in this resource, but not linked by date or assignment.They are available in a separate booklet for a small cost (contact us at [email protected] or 804-219-1355). In addition, these devotions are available on the MyMission-IMB Students app, freely available for smart phones and tablets. Here’s how to make the most of these devotions: 1. Start these devotions at least six weeks before your project. There are six weeks of devotions with five days in each (weekends are for catching up!). Remember that their purpose is to prepare you for what God wants to do while on your trip. Be diligent to set aside time each morning so you have the whole day to live out what you have learned and help you develop a life of serving selflessly. 2. Take notes with a journal or a notes app. You forget 90% of the information you take in within one month. Old school: get a journal book. New school: use notes on your phone or tablet. Either way, write something down every day. Spell out your prayers. Write your responses to the “Own it” section in each devotion. Journal what you think the Holy Spirit tells you as you read the Word. Later, while you are on your trip and God puts you in a situation where you’re not sure what to do, you can go back and remember how God prepared you for it. Also, you can look back and see God’s faithfulness as He answers your prayers. 4. Complete the “Own it” sections. The “Own it” section of each devotion is written so that you can live out what you have just learned. John Maxwell explains, “We are educated as Christians way beyond our level of obedience.” If you just gain knowledge you will just get spiritually fat.You must exercise your knowledge so others can see your faith in action and know it is real. These practical applications will not always be simple or easy, but if you spend time on them daily, your faith will grow in ways you could never imagine, and God will be glorified through you on your trip and when you get back. 5. Live for God’s name to be made famous. Don’t do these devotions just because you were told you should. And honestly, don’t simply do them because it will prepare you for this trip. Do these devotions so God’s name would be made famous through your life throughout the earth! When you focus on God’s glory, everything just seems to fall in line. In fact, it will cause you to start your mission trip RIGHT NOW.You won’t want to wait.You’ll start spreading the love of Christ to every person you encounter throughout your day.You’ll want to start researching your people group.You might even want to find some in your city right now and spend time with them. #OhSnap! When you abandon, be prepared for the Spirit to move you into a place that most people will never experience. Don’t wait. Start now. 3. Pray on your knees. “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work” (Oswald Chambers).You cannot accomplish anything apart from God. Prayer aligns you with God’s will and clears your mind for His vision to change the world. Pray on your knees before you start each devotion. This simple act of humbling yourself positions your heart to hear from the Almighty Creator and represents submission to His will. After you read the devotion get back on your knees and cry out to God for what He wants to accomplish in this world through your life. Abandon your pride and seek the Lord on your knees daily. 37 WEEK 1 - ABANDON GOD-LESS-NESS One of the biggest problems we face is living with a lousy concept and appreciation of God. Godlessness is exactly what the word says: life without God. It also means having less of God than is needed to really trust Him, love Him and serve Him. It’s time to abandon your cramped, little view of deity and embrace a big, glorious God Who is worthy of your highest affection and deepest commitment. Day 1: Learn His identity Read it: Psalm 103 Know it: Do you ever just stop and think about who God is? Do you ever wonder why He did what He did for you? Have you ever considered that the reason God loves you so much is because it is just in His character to love this deeply? In Psalm 103, King David shows us that the Lord is merciful and gracious. Everything God does stems from who He is. Through this Psalm, we realize that God has some unmatched qualities that, when we think about them, will make us break out into praise just like David! The characteristics listed in these verses give us incredible insight into God’s identity.Verse three tells us that He forgives all our sins. God doesn’t just say we are forgiven once, but He continually forgives our sins.Verse five shows us that He satisfies our desires by giving us His blessings. “ Our Lord wants to take such good care of us that we need not desire anything but Him. David ends his psalm with “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” He understands that true praise of God comes from our innermost part, our soul. The soul literally means everything that a person is, the whole being. When David wrote that, he was declaring that his whole life praised God – not just a part of his life. Everything that he does, thinks about and cares about is to bless the Lord! When you begin to understand who God is, you are moved to praise Him by abandoning your life to Him. If you truly believe God is all these things, how can you do anything less than glorify His name in and through your life and actions? Does this psalm help you desire to live for Him? Like David, will you break out into praise as you are reminded about how loving and compassionate our God is? Take some time to work through the Own it section to help you truly understand the depth of who God is and how He desires every part of your life. Pray it: Lord,You are incredible. I am amazed at who You are and that You, the Creator of the universe, are merciful and gracious toward me. Help me to dwell on who You are, so that I may live for You every day. Own it: ” Verse seven talks about God’s revelation to Moses. He desires to guide our paths and not let us go at life alone.Verse 14 declares that He knows exactly how we are formed. Therefore, He knows what we need and don’t need, as well as our strengths and weaknesses. Don’t forget verse 17 that talks about how God’s love has been before us and will continue on after we leave this earth! What’s interesting to notice is that beginning in verse 11 we see what we need to do in order to understand who God is. David says that “those who fear Him” are the ones who will experience God. Our praise always comes from an understanding of God’s power. This un- 38 derstanding helps us to become “fearful” of what God can do. But, this fear causes an awe within us. We are able to see God as both powerful and loving, at the same time. This awareness leads us to genuine praise. • Write down the characteristics of God you see in Psalm 103. Then write down which of these you have seen personally in your life. (Thank Him specifically for how He has shown some of these characteristics toward you.) • Take some time and think about (meditate on) each one. • Journal what God means to you as a result of reading these characteristics. Day 2: Believe in His love Read it: Romans 5:8-10 Know it: When you think of who God is, what comes to your mind first? Who is He is to you: Father, Lord, or Creator? Do you perhaps first think on what He has done for you: Healer, Provider, or Sustainer? What about a characteristic of His nature: almighty, powerful, omnipotent, omniscient? Consider becoming one of those who would first say that God is amazing love. Not only does God describe Himself as love, He proves it in His actions. Think about it: God does not wait for us to seek Him; He has always sought us. “ Christianity is the only religion where you don’t have to climb the mountain to get to God. ” Basically, you don’t have to do a bunch of spiritual tasks to “be worthy” in the eyes of God. Christianity says God loves you so much that He came down from the mountain to meet you where you are. He pursues you every moment until He has your heart. What a difference that makes compared to trying to earn your way to God! In Romans 5, we read how God showed His great love for us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. What’s even crazier is this phrase: “while we were still sinners.” This means that while we were still enemies of God—people who could not be in His presence due to sin—He sent Jesus to restore us to Him. That means Jesus died for every single person, regardless of their spiritual stature before a holy and righteous God. Jesus willingly died for each and every single person who would ever set foot on this earth, even though God knew that some would never turn from their sins and run into His arms! What an amazing expression of perfect and abundant love. The Bible gives us many other aspects of God’s love. • Forever. Psalm 52:8 explains how God’s love will never run out and will last forever: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” • Patient. God’s wrath and anger toward us as sinners is certainly justified, but thank God in His love that He is not quick to punish or abandon us. “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). • Merciful. Finally, because God is love, we can be confident that He will forgive us of our sins and never ever hold them against us, as a result of what Jesus did on the cross. Psalm 103:10-12 says, “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” God is love. Because of His great love He died for us, while we were still His enemies. Let that sink in and propel you to live out this love for Him every day of your life. Pray it: Thank you, God, for the amazing love You have for me. Help me to experience this love in such a powerful way that it spurs me to go out and love those for whom You have died and rose again. Sing a worship song that helps explain how you feel about Him. Own it: • Watch this video clip from a movie about Rich Mullins, when he hears a challenge to really believe in the love of Jesus: youtube.com/watch?v=Pj50SeIfzyA. • Ask someone today what God’s love means to them. • Always available. Because God is love we can always count on His answers to our prayers...in His time. Psalm 69:13 tells us, “But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.” 39 Day 3: Trust Him in the mystery Read it: Isaiah 55:8-9 Know it: Lately, it seems my oldest son thinks he has all of the world’s knowledge and wisdom contained within his brain! In fact, this strong-willed 11-year-old has always made sure it’s known when he is right. It all began when he was in preschool. At the tender age of 4 he corrected his teacher on the appropriate pronunciation of dinosaur names when she was reading a book to the class. Seven years later he continues this trend, trying to correct me when he believes I haven’t gotten the facts straight. How many times have I reminded him, “Son, I’ve been on this earth a lot longer than you and have gained experience, wisdom and knowledge from my time!” He just ignores me. Does it seem odd that a child would tell a grown man he is completely wrong? Do you just laugh when you think about the irony of that situation? Does it remind you of how you sometimes behave and respond toward your own Heavenly Father–trying to prove you’re right, that your ways are better, and He just needs to get the facts straight? Isaiah tells us that the Lord’s thoughts and ways are much higher than ours. “ The Lord wants us to know and treasure the fact that He is much wiser than us. ” We can trust in these words because God created the universe, made us out of dust, and is completely above and beyond the realm of time. He can do anything He wants because He is God. His wisdom is infinite and way beyond our scope! Yet sometimes we act like my son does, as if we know it all. God works in mysterious ways and we may not be able right now to fully understand why things happen the way they do. We don’t know why there are illnesses like cancer in this world. We wonder why bad things happen to good people. We hate that terrorists seem to rarely get caught and so continue in their persecution of Christians. When things like this happen that we don’t understand, instead of complaining, we can trust that God is ultimately doing something that will lead to greater good and prove Himself glorious. We must trust that His thoughts and ways are better than our understanding. 40 The life of Joseph in Genesis gives us a good example of how God is always at work even though we might not understand why things are happening the way they are. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and experienced a chain of events that would cause most people to give up on God. Joseph, however, kept trusting the Lord in the most difficult of circumstances. In the end, he became one of the most respected men in Egypt and was able to say to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). You can trust that God knows what He is doing. Instead of feeling helpless, you can live with confidence and carry out the responsibility of spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. Be encouraged that His ways and thoughts are not limited to what you can see and comprehend.You might not be able to see the big picture of what God is doing, but you can trust that the infinite wisdom of God will play out through a plan that will vindicate your faith and glorify Him. Pray it: Lord, thank You for not demoting your thoughts and ways to match mine.Thank You for being a God who has infinite wisdom and will work out everything to the good of those who love You. Help me to trust that You are in control today. Own it: • Enlist at least two prayer partners who will lift up you and your mission project in these days of preparation. Share with them specific requests and your desire to trust God fully now and in the project. • Consider using this guide for you and your partners to pray for the people you will serve: imbstudents.org/documents/30_ Day_Prayer_Guide_for_Unreached_People_Groups.pdf • Read this article to explore this topic more: gotquestions.org/God-works-in-mysteriousways.html. Day 4: Yield to His Lordship Read it: Luke 10:25-28 Know it: What or who controls your life? What are you living for? Why are you on this earth? What are you striving for? All these questions lead to the very important issue of God’s role in your life. In the book of Luke, Jesus interacted with a lawyer who dealt with the religious rules of the time. This lawyer asked Jesus what he could do to gain eternal life. At some level he already knew the answer, but still wanted to hear what Jesus had to say on the matter. So Jesus asked him to refer back to the law he was so familiar with. The lawyer quoted Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Here we see God being called Lord, a term that comes up repeatedly throughout the Bible. The word “lord” is defined as “someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler.”10 When you became a follower of Christ, this meant surrendering your life to God.You now identify Him in your life as Lord. This means that He now is to control every area of your life. But, have you surrendered every area of your life to Him? “ Have you given complete control to God? ” Does He have your whole heart or just the part that calls on Him when you need Him? Back to the encounter of Jesus and the religious lawyer, we read that the way to have eternal life is to love God not just with the heart, but also with all one’s soul, strength and mind as well. That is a complete picture of giving up your self to make God the Lord of your life. Jesus wanted the lawyer to understand that belief in God is not necessarily the same thing as making Him Lord over your life. Jesus also wanted the lawyer to know that living a righteous life doesn’t equal eternal life either. He had to give over every part of his being in order to make God the Lord of his life. First Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” God paid your sin debt by giving Jesus up to die on the cross. When you believed this, repented of your sin and trusted in Christ, you allowed God to come into your life and be your Lord.Your identity changed. Now you have the opportunity to live a life guided by the Holy Spirit instead of by your worldly desires. He convicts you of sin and helps you live a life that glorifies God through everything that you do.You no longer need to crave what the world offers; instead, you can give in and give up so that God can have His way through you. Here is an amazing thing: when you abandon control and let God be truly Lord over your life, you experience the blessings of real freedom, peace and joy! So stop fighting against God and give in to His identity in your life: Lord! A.W. Tozer put it this way: “Either God is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.” Go back to those questions at the beginning of today’s devotion. Answering these will help you know if God is Lord of all in your life. Pray it: Lord, help me see You as just that–Lord. Help me realize You bought me and now I am indebted to You because You have freed me from the power of sin. Show me the freedom I have by allowing You to take control. Help me not give in to my desires, but follow Yours. Own it: • Look at the “Four Spiritual Laws” and determine if you are living the self-directed life or the Christ-directed life: 4laws.com/ laws/englishkgp/default.htm. • Take some time to identify specific areas in your life that you haven’t “given in” completely to God (educational choices, career, relationship status, safety, boldness, etc.). • Go to God in prayer to present these areas of your life to God and abandon them to His say-so and control. Day 5: Discover what God really wants Read it: John 3:16-21 Know it: If you grew up in church you have probably read, heard, and even memorized John 3:16. In fact, even if you didn’t grow up in church, you might be familiar with it simply because it’s frequently seen at football games, at posters on street corners, in the hands of protesters and on billboards. Have you considered why this verse is so common—why John 3:16 seem to be the most quoted verse by every Christian? Let’s slow down and meditate on the words of this verse so you will be able to understand what is close to the heart of God. 10 http://merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lord 41 God so loved the world. John succinctly explains that God’s desire and love is for all of mankind. Perhaps John 3:16 is so prominent because it tells us that God loves the WORLD, not just Americans, and not just Christians, but truly everyone. He desires a relationship with everyone in the whole world. “ An amazingly big God has plenty of room in His heart for each and every person He has created. ” That He gave His only Son. No other messenger would do. God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we would not suffer an eternity separated from Him in a place called hell. He offers fellowship with Himself now and forever. What an amazing illustration of ultimate love! The God of the universe loves every single person so much that He would suffer the punishment and death of His own Son in order that we could be with Him forever. The fact that a holy and perfect God would even care about us blows my mind, but He goes a step further to take on Himself the condemnation that a world full of people in rebellion against Him deserve. That whoever believes in Him. Romans 10:9-10 gives us a great picture of how we can receive this free gift from God: “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” In order to be saved, it takes repentance and faith—belief that God raised Jesus Christ from the grave. I don’t know about you, but anyone who predicts His own death and resurrection, then actually does it, is worthy of my faith! Should not perish. God desires every single person to not perish but have everlasting life with Him. He patiently waits on us to realize how much He loves us and constantly holds out open arms so we will run to Him. Second Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Do you believe this? Do you really believe that God loves the whole world, not just the parts you know, not just the people you like, but every person in it? Do you understand that God truly wants every single person to know the depths of His love? Then you 42 should do everything possible to help others know this incredible love from our incredible God. Abandon any God-less-ness in your life today! Pray it: Lord, remind me of Your amazing love and help me to trust in You. Help me understand what You say in John 3:16 and believe it so much that it will help me fulfill Your desire for all people to know You. Pray John 3:16. Own it: • Answer these questions in your journal: W hy do I believe in Jesus? W hat is God’s greatest desire? - W hat is my role in all of this? • Memorize John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” • Find someone with whom you can share the meaning of John 3:16, phrase by phrase. If possible, do this with an international friend. 43 WEEK 2 - ABANDON SELF It’s easy to think that holiness is keeping up with a list of do’s and don’ts to avoid sin, but a better meaning of holiness is making room in your life for God. God is ready to come to you with all His beauty and goodness and joy and creativity and abundance. Are you ready for Him? Is there room in your life, or is your selfishness going to crowd Him out? Think of unholiness as filling your life with everything else but God. Second, you make sure God’s mission is your mission. His ambition becomes yours. Third, recognize that such like-mindedness puts you on the same path with others so you can come together to see the church accomplish what God wants. It’s time to stop arguing with other brothers and sisters in Christ and stop worrying about your own desires. Instead, together seek out what matters: God’s desires. Day 1: Get empty Now, read verses 3 and 4 again. In order to have the same mindset of humility as Christ did, you must “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.” When you give in to your own ambition, you put yourself first instead of humbly acting like Christ.You are called to hold others in a higher regard than your own self. Remember, Christ became like us and was confined to a human body; the most powerful Being in the universe limited Himself to a body to be with us! That can inspire you to “count others as more significant” than yourself. Read it: Philippians 2:1-11 Know it: This passage is an amazing section of the Word! Paul gives the ultimate example of abandoning self: Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who completely emptied Himself of His divine privileges in order to fulfill God’s greater plan. He humbled Himself to the greatest extent: death. During His time on earth, Jesus submitted to the Father because He knew that God’s plan was the only way to restore the kingdom of Heaven. Too often we may read these verses and say, “Of course, Jesus would be the ultimate example of abandoning self. He was God! He was perfect!” Yes, but that just makes His example of humility and submission all the greater. Read verse 6 again: “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” If the Son of God could let go of His royal privileges and heavenly splendor for us, why should we be reluctant to do something for Him? We are commanded to be like Christ: “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6, NIV). Every day we need to make a decision to abandon ourselves for God’s greater plan. Every day we need to submit to God’s leading and not what we want. “ Every day, we must determine that our lives are not for ourselves, but rather for a God who loves the world and will use us to help restore it to Him. ” So, how do you accomplish this? Read verses 1 and 2 again. First, you find encouragement through Christ’s redeeming work on the cross: that He gave up His life for you.You delight in the comfort of His love and the friendship of the Holy Spirit. 44 Rest assured that you are not called to be a doormat where you allow people to rule over you; only God is your King. However, knowing that God greatly esteems you, you can afford to put others before yourself. C.S. Lewis put it this way, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.”11 We do this by following what Paul tells us, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” We must always be aware of others and their role in the kingdom. We look for ways to help others accomplish God’s goal. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of someone who abandoned everything for the sake of the mission. Today, look for ways to empty yourself like Christ did. Pray it: Lord, help me to understand that Jesus died for my sins and was raised back to life. Help me to know that His example of humility can encourage me to abandon my own self in light of the gospel. (Tell Him specific areas in your life where you need help with humility.) Thank You for continuing to refine me to be more like Jesus. Own it: • Write down the areas of your life where you see a lack of humility. • Ask your prayer partners to pray for these areas of your life before and during your trip. • Memorize 1 John 2:6 (“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did”) and create a Facebook post of the verse (Pro tip: use canva.com). C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 1997) 11 Day 2: Embrace your new identity Read it: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Know it: Who are you? What do you call yourself? Where do you find your identity? Some of us call ourselves “Christian.” Others might say “I am a Jesus-follower.” Still others might say, “I’m (insert your name here).” Answering these questions just scratches the surface of who you really are. The question, “Where do you find your identity?” can bring a much different set of answers.You might say things like: sports, video games, my Instagram feed, or even an addiction. These are very deep and tough questions to answer for most of us. However, through these verses that Paul writes to the church in Corinth, let’s explore the best answers. Paul says that once you become a follower of Christ, “the old has gone.” You are no longer your old self; who you used to be is now gone. “ You have a new identity in Christ; do you believe this truth? ” You have given up the right to yourself and have become a child of God.You have been adopted into his family! John 1:12 states, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Our identity as believers is that we are children of God, which means we receive the inheritance of eternal life and God’s Holy Spirit living inside of us. That is extremely significant because we aren’t called to just receive those blessings, but to be a conduit so those blessings go out into the world. If you are now a child of God, then you also are an ambassador for Him. Just as Christ reconciled you to have a relationship with the almighty Creator, you are to speak His good news to the world.Verses 18 and 19 explain that through Jesus Christ we all can be forgiven of our sins, and our sins will no longer be held under our account. Through that forgiveness, you have been tasked as a “minister of reconciliation” to bring the hope of freedom from sin to the world! You are part of the people God is using to change the world and reach the nations! So what does all this mean? First Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Your identity, who you are and what you call yourself, can be summed up by this verse.You are God’s ambassador and a royal priest, called to proclaim the way out of darkness and into His marvelous light! Through Christ you have been brought into the family, into the blessings, into the light, so that you could be sent out to help a hopeless world find hope! What a privilege to be one of the change makers, the reconcilers, the ones the Holy Spirit uses to help others be free from sin and live a life that honors the Most High God! Pray it: God, almighty Creator, thank You for adopting me into Your family. Help me live out my calling as Your ambassador. Help me embrace my new identity in Christ. Help me proclaim your excellence as the One who called me out of darkness and into Your marvelous light. Own it: • Watch “The Big Story” to see what it means to reconcile the world to Christ as His ambassadors: youtube.com/watch?v=kCVcSiUUMhY. • Practice sharing “The Big Story” with someone you know. • Practice sharing “The Big Story” with someone you don’t know. (#ohsnap #nervous) Day 3: Act like Jesus Read it: John 13:1-17 Know it: John gives us a picture of the Savior of the world washing the disciples’ feet.The time for Jesus’ death was coming soon and He wanted to show the disciples what they had to do in order to become more like Him. Can you imagine being one of those guys watching this scene play out? Imagine seeing the Master, who performed miracles and claimed to be God, take off His outer robe, fill a bowl with water, and begin to wash your feet! Consider that this greatest of rabbis, whom you have followed and learned so much from, is washing the dirtiest part of your body!? What would you do? What would you say? What would you think? Peter freaked out! He saw Jesus as someone to be greatly respected, and no self-respecting person in that culture would do what only slaves were supposed to do. He resisted the lesson Jesus was trying to teach His disciples. Peter did not seem to understand that Jesus did not just talk about the things His disciples 45 must do. He demonstrated them as well. Once He finished washing all the disciples’ feet, Jesus explained what just happened: “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him” (verses 15-16). Jesus calls you to abandon yourself so you can act like Him. In this example of foot washing, He shows you how. In order to act like Jesus, you must first learn to receive the full extent of His cleansing love: “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (verse 1). Just like Peter, you can find it hard to receive a “foot washing.” Remember, there is nothing so dirty about you that Jesus can’t handle it. And Jesus says, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me” (verse 8). Next, in order to act like Jesus you must claim Him as “Teacher and Lord” (verse 14). These are not just titles, but as we have said before, real roles that Jesus plays in your life.You are to do what the Teacher does. “ Discipleship is not just knowing about Jesus; it is truly following Jesus. ” Where did we ever get the idea that we could watch Jesus do lowly things like serving others and think it didn’t apply to us? Finally, to act like Jesus you need to translate the love He has for you into compassion for others. “You also ought to wash one another’s feet” (verse 14). Jesus asks you to love those whom He loves: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). When you get the heart of Jesus inside of you, a Christ-like humility and a compassion for others will be natural to you.You will want to serve others as Christ did. Jesus knew God’s mission, and through His compassion He would go to great extents to serve others without regard for His own desires. This mindset eventually led to the ultimate way of serving others… by dying on the cross for all the sins of humanity. Matthew 20:28 tells us that, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” So we are to follow Jesus’ example. We are to serve others and give ourselves up for others.You will soon be going somewhere in the world to do this. 46 As you prepare for this, remember that you are called to act like Jesus. Pray it: God, fill me up with Your love so I will be able to overflow with love and service to others. Help me keep my eyes on Jesus and learn to do as He has done. Help me learn how to better serve others as I prepare for this trip. Own it: • Are you aware of ways in which Jesus has sought to love you, but you resisted? If so, write a prayer where you confess your pride and admit your need to receive His love. • Journal ways you can start your mission project now—serving people before you leave for your trip—in order to develop a “heart like Jesus”. Pick one thing from that list that you can do this week to serve someone close to you. • Begin praying for God to show you someone you can serve regularly before you leave for your trip. Day 4: Burn your plow Read it: 1 Kings 19:19-21 Know it: Elijah was a well-known prophet who accomplished many things for the glory of God.You might recognize him from hearing the story about him in chapter 18. He held a “God contest” where he pitted the One True God against King Ahab’s gods. There Elijah proved that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was real by calling down fire from heaven, burning up the sacrifice, and ending the debate. At the end of chapter 19, the story jumps ahead to where Elijah called Elisha to be his assistant and so began to pass the baton of “prophet” to Elisha. Elisha’s response to Elijah’s call is what we need to understand. After Elijah put his coat on Elisha (an ancient world way of “passing the baton”), Elisha went and burned up the plowing equipment and slaughtered the oxen he had been using. What is significant is that the Bible mentions Elisha was with the “twelfth pair” when all this went down. That is, Elijah and his family had twelve teams of oxen to plow his field, meaning he was probably wealthy when Elijah found him.Yet Elisha burned up everything that he owned in order to follow God’s calling on his life. He abandoned the riches, fed the meat to the town (can you imagine that party!), and left everything behind to follow Elijah. Would you do that? Would you abandon everything to help fulfill God’s desire for all peoples of the world to know Him and be saved? You may give up something in order to go on this mission trip, but would you give up everything to answer God’s call to join Him in His mission? If you sacrifice some vacation, money, and energy to travel across the world to share the gospel with others, are you doing so knowing you will come back to your familiar comforts and pleasures after a small time away? “ Imagine what would happen if more of us who went on mission projects had the same mentality as Elisha! ” What if all of us understood that there is nothing more important than the calling of God on our lives? And if that means that a host of us leaves everything behind for the sake of spreading the gospel across the world, what could happen? Maybe more churches would be planted in places that have been closed to the gospel or even hostile to Christians. Let’s change the metaphor.What if, as David Platt often says, your life should be like a blank check you give to God? “Lord, write on it whatever You will. Everything I have and am belongs to You.” Can you say, “God, I’m Yours? I am willing to go where you want me to go, do what you want me to do, and not hold anything back from You”? Elisha was completely free to go with Elijah and be all that God wanted Him to be. Imagine how free you too would be, even now, if you thought that way. Your life would truly be led by the Spirit to places you would never imagine, to be used by God in ways you didn’t think were possible. Pray it: Warning – This is a dangerous prayer. Lord, if I am truly Yours, if my identity is found in You, help me to trust everything to You. Help me to abandon everything for You. I want to see this world know You more than ever. Prepare my heart to be completely Yours, so that even before my trip I’m ready to be used by You.Thank You for leading me, guiding me, and teaching me what it means to be all Yours. Own it: • Research the people group you will serve on your project and journal everything you can about them. (Pro tip: use joshuaproject.net and peoplegroups.org.) • Fast from something until you leave for your trip (Netflix, social media, a meal a day, etc.). Every time you desire that thing, use it as a prompt to plead to God on your knees for your people group. Day 5: Go no matter what Read it: Acts 20:17-27 Know it: In Acts 20, Paul was prompted by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem. Paul went, knowing that in Jerusalem suffering was waiting for him. One reason he knew this was because wherever the Holy Spirit had led him before, people were waiting to persecute him because of his testimony. In the case of Jerusalem, the Spirit plainly told him to expect prison and hardship.Yet, still Paul went...willingly. Why did he keep doing this to himself? Why did he set himself up to be beaten and thrown in prison over and over? Paul understood a much bigger purpose for his life and made suffering worthwhile. He knew what God had called him to do and he would go no matter what. Verse 24 tells us Paul’s calling in life: “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul was never ashamed of this mission and always pursued this purpose. Paul’s whole life, after he turned from persecuting Christians, was “laser focused” on bringing the gospel of the grace of God to every Jew and Greek. He desired that every single person with whom he came in contact would repent of their sins, turn to God, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul would have seen his life as a waste if he had shunned the race set before him by God. As he said to the Corinthians, “For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship” (1 Corinthians 9:16-17). As it was, he was bold with his testimony, never shrinking from his responsibility to tell people that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose from the grave, proving He could restore them to a relationship with the Creator of the universe. 47 One reason Paul was so driven was because he remembered his life before Christ. He knew God had saved him from a life of anger, strife and confusion. Paul knew God showered him with grace that day on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). God could’ve easily removed Paul from this earth, but instead chose to transform him into a voice for the gospel. “ A God-given purpose is a powerful thing. ” In regards to this mission project, are you going on a whim or a conviction? Are you convinced that God has called you to travel to a place away from your home to spread the gospel? Beware of whims in missions. Paul wouldn’t have lasted a day on mission without God-given conviction. In regards to your life, do you know why you are who you are? That sounds complicated, but it’s a way of confronting an unexamined life. Do you know what your purpose in life is? What is God calling you to be and do? Keep in mind that first and foremost, He calls you to Himself.The race always has Him waiting for you at the goal. Everything else is simply a matter of good stewardship. How will you be available to God today? How will you use this gift or that opportunity for Him? Prepare your heart and mind for a journey that leads to God. Realize that this journey also is a chance to live on mission for God. So go, no matter what. As a Christ-follower, don’t be deterred from bringing the gospel of the grace of God to every single person with whom you can, and throughout your life pursue relationships that lead to gospel advancement. Abandon yourself for the sake of the gospel! Pray it: God, show me how You want to use me to bless the world. Show me the calling You have for my life.Then, give me the courage to live this calling out. Give me opportunities to spread the gospel where I am now and with whomever I meet on my trip. Own it: • Wrap up this week of devotions by spending some time on your testimony for Christ. The best way to share what God has done in your life is through your own story. Answer the following questions in your journal to help you process your story: 48 - W hat was your life like without Christ? - H ow did you come to realize you needed God’s grace? - W hat is your life like now with Christ? Who is He to you now? • Become familiar with the Creation to Christ presentation. In many cultural contexts, explaining the gospel is best done with stories. Many people have no real knowledge of the Bible, so it’s important to start with the beginning. Look for C2C here in this material or online at imbstudents.org. Practice sharing one of the stories with a friend. If it leads you to share more, then great! 49 WEEK 3 - ABANDON SELFISH EXPECTATIONS There is a lot of disillusionment in this world. Marilyn Monroe, a celebrity of the 1950’s, was reported to have said, “Dreaming about being an actress is more exciting than being one.” Expectations are not bad but they can be wrongly focused. God invites you to enlarge your imagination and abandon your puny hopes for something much bigger and better. Day 1: Not thine but the vine Read it: John 15:1-11 Know it: Every year, I have watched as my neighbor cuts down his beautiful plants to prepare them for the spring. It’s a bit shocking to see something that looks so lovely get pruned down to almost nothing. So I finally asked him why he does that. I learned that when a branch grows too far out from the trunk, it begins to lose its source of strength, to the point where it will no longer produce fruit and then eventually die. I looked at my plants and realized I needed to prune them. Mine were not nearly so full and vibrant-looking as his. In fact, let’s just say that I had branches going every possible direction and with much “saggy-ness.” Compared to my neighbor’s plants, mine looked like they needed to be chopped down completely! So many times we expect to reach people for Christ, serve others, love others, and forgive others, all without ever going back to the source for strength to do all these good things. Eventually we can burn out from doing the work of the Lord. Have you been there? Have you tried to do many good things and expected them to fuel you, only to find out that they actually exhausted you? Jesus tells us that He is the source of our strength; apart from Him we can do nothing. “ Every day we need to abide in Him so that we serve from the outflow of His strength. ” What do the “branches” look like in your life? Is there something you need to “prune?” Have you gotten away from the Source of your strength? The Christian life is meant to be lived out of the overflow of God’s provision, not the trickle of self-reliance. Jesus could not be more clear in saying, “I am the vine; you are the branches.Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (verse 5).What will it be for you—thine or the vine? 50 Are you trying to do too much, ending every day exhausted, and never really resting? If so, it’s likely that you are not abiding in Christ and relying on His strength. Maybe you need to create a “don’t-do” list instead of a “to-do” list, so you can rely on God getting things done instead of relying on yourself. Are you bearing the fruit of a Christ-like life? If not, it’s probably because you are a branch trying to do its own thing rather than being closely connected to Jesus. God is glorified when you bear fruit, and it is one of those things that proves you to be Christ’s disciple. One of the ways you can “abide in the vine” is to give God the first moments of your day.When you wake up, seek strength from Him by reading His Word (like you are doing now!) and spending time on your knees praying. (And don’t just talk to Him; listen as well.) Then, throughout the day constantly apply the instruction of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” When you stop trying to do things out of your own strength and abandon your own expectaions, you will truly find Christ’s life-giving power through the Holy Spirit! Pray it: Lord, help me stop trying to do things out of my own strength and then expect supernatural results. Help me to rely on You by constantly seeking what You want so that I may bear Your fruit. Own it: • Get fruity. Make a list of spiritual fruits in your journal. Read Galatians 5:22-23 and Colossians 1:10. From John 15 and Matthew 13:23, could we also understand fruit to mean others we lead to Christ? • Develop your own “abide strategy.” What can you do to stay intimate and dependent on Jesus? Here are some starter ideas: - P ost Bible verses where you can see them each day. - P ick a new person each day and pray, “God, help me bless this person somehow today.” - B e on a “God Hunt,” always looking for ways God shows up. Even in the worst of circumstances, Jeremiah said, “his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). • Set some vine time. Before you started these devotions, was it your practice to spend time each day with God? If not, make it a top priority to continue this discipline. Set a time for every morning, even beyond this mission project, to read your Bible, journal, and pray. Need help? Read this: rickwarren.org/devotional/english/quiettime-with-god-it-s-simple-really Day 2: Jesus, take the wheel Read it: Proverbs 16:9; Romans 8:28; Matthew 6:25-34 Know it: Do you ever worry about your future? Do you ask, “What is God’s will for my life?” Honestly, most of us have fretted frequently about the “what-ifs” in this world. Sadly, this often does not lead to real answers but just more questions and worry, even to the point of becoming paralyzed in looking toward the future. Wouldn’t it be great to have a personal road map you could follow that would show an easy way to get to the goals you’ve set? Such a map would let you rely on our own power and abilities to reach the finish line, overcoming or avoiding hurdles and obstacles along the way. In fact, you could possibly even rearrange the path if it got too hard. But that’s just not realistic is it? Moving toward God’s future for your life will never be like playing a game of Chinese checkers, with each move calculated and well thought out. “ Life is complicated, much is not in your ability to control, and God is not likely to give you a blueprint. ” So how do you deal with your fear of the future or, even more, how will you embrace the future if it doesn’t play out the way you expected it would? There is a secret in the Bible that can help you with this issue… Faith. That’s it, faith. Not faith in yourself, or faith in your plans, or faith in faith itself (that’s weird, isn’t it?), but faith in a God who loves you and has your best interests at heart. In fact, faith is the conviction that God is in control of every facet of your future. When you understand this, there is a sense of peace and freedom that can calm your anxious heart. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God works everything out according to His will. This includes your future.Your natural inclination is to want to be in control of your own “destiny,” but God wants you to abandon that control and trust Him with it. That would not make sense unless it’s true that His love is the greatest and His plans are the best: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). So why do you resist handing it all over to Him? Maybe you don’t really believe God is big enough and smart enough to control everything. That raises the question: Is God really God or not? If you can trust that God knows what He is doing, you can rest in His sovereignty. This doesn’t mean you stop making plans (like going on a mission trip!) and do nothing, sitting around hoping that God will do something good through you in the future. Instead, you place your confidence in His character, His power and His authority over the future, and then live out Proverbs 16:9 in daily life: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” It’s one thing to drive yourself and determine your own destination; it’s another thing to get moving as best as you know how and say, “God, you steer.” Make your plans but trust that the Lord will guide you down the path He wants for you (Proverbs 3:5-6). I challenge you to abandon your expected future for God’s today and simply place your faith in Him, knowing that He has a plan for you and will guide you down it. Pray it: Lord, help me to truly believe and trust that You are guiding my life and establishing my path. Give me the wisdom to know which way to take that will lead to the destination You desire for my life. I abandon my future for Yours. Own it: • Watch this video of how Tony Dungy, former pro football coach, dealt with his career hopes and expectations: iamsecond.com/seconds/tony-dungy/. • Memorize Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” 51 Day 3: Rejoice in discomfort Read it: Philippians 1:12-18 Know it: When things don’t go the way you plan, how do you typically react? Do you get angry? Freak out? If so, why? Have you ever thought about responding in tough times with rejoicing? Not in the “fake it ’till you make it” kind of way, but with true joy. When Paul was awaiting his trial in Rome, do you think he wanted to be there? If he had been planning things for his life, would that have included arrest, imprisonment, and chains? But such it was as he suffered for doing something good: preaching the gospel. Most of us would have been complaining at this point. We might have said things like, “I don’t deserve to be here. I didn’t do anything wrong. This is terrible, God, why would You let this happen to me?” Not Paul. Look at his response in verse 12: “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” Later he says, “Yes, and I will rejoice.” That’s ridiculous! Paul was rejoicing about being in prison!? Why would he do that? Look at verses 13 and 14 and you will see that Paul’s expectations were not selfish, but focused on the advancement of the gospel. For one thing, he was excited to share that the whole imperial guard knew that he was in prison for preaching about Christ. “ If you wanted to influence the entire Roman Empire, you couldn’t have picked a better group to start with. ” Paul was most likely in the custody of the “Praetorian 14 guard”—elite troops housed in the emperor’s palace who were a specialized, hand-picked, military team. They were Caesar’s own personal bodyguards–strong, courageous, brilliant, sophisticated young men. Imagine a mixture of Marines and the Secret Service. These guys typically served for 12 years, protecting Caesar and guarding prisoners like Paul. After their service they tended to move on to careers that were very influential. Some would become commanding generals of large armies; others went into politics and became senators or ambassadors to other countries. Many even became top business leaders. Essentially, these would become the movers and shakers of the future, the decision makers of the next generation. 52 Every day Paul grinned to himself because, for two years, one of these guards wore the other end of his chain, and for six hours had to stay within four feet of him. He wasn’t chained to them; they were chained to him! Paul literally had a captive audience with whom he shared Christ, which may have led to a chain reaction of conversions throughout the whole Roman palace. Can you see why Paul was rejoicing and not worried about getting his way? God had a better idea, and it wasn’t for Paul to be sitting in the comfort of his own house, with his feet propped up watching Netflix. God was using Paul’s imprisonment and Paul’s suffering to create an unexpected movement of God! Do you expect everything to go according to your plans? If so, you need to abandon your expectations. Why not prepare your heart to accept that God is in control and let His way be accomplished? Let God be God, and trust that He loves you so much and wants what’s best for you.You can find joy in knowing that whatever happens, God is working and will use you more than you could ever imagine. Pray it: Lord, help me find comfort knowing You are in control. Help me not worry about getting my way. Instead, help me pray, “Your will be done,” even if it means not being comfortable. Forgive me for not trusting You. Own it: • Do you have a testimony of God turning an uncomfortable situation in your life into a blessing for others? If so, describe it in your journal. • Listen to “My Heart is Yours” by Passion and Kristian Stanfill: youtube.com/ watch?v=qBI4WDfRh6E. Write down the chorus in your journal and ask God to help you live these words with truth. Day 4: Seek real satisfaction Read it: Ephesians 3:14-19 Know it: What brings you satisfaction? A job well done? A compliment from a mentor? An “A” on a test? A paycheck? There’s nothing wrong with us feeling good when we’ve done well or worked hard, but too many times we expect these things to fill us up and keep us going, only to be disappointed. We act as if we are entitled to ultimate rewards because we put in some effort, but even with the greatest of worldly successes, there is still something missing and we wind up feeling empty. Nothing truly satisfies like God’s unfailing love. Paul desired for the church to be “filled with all the fullness of God.” He believed this comes from being satisfied through knowing “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18, NIV). Real satisfaction will not come from our own achievements, but rather from the free gift of Christ’s love for us. This love was demonstrated most completely by what He did for us on the cross in reconciling us back to God. John Piper puts it this way: “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.” You were made to find joy and contentment in God.12 “ Nothing and no one else can take God’s place in your life. ” When you find satisfaction in who He is and how much He loves you, then His desires will be your desires and His mission will be your mission. He will be glorified through the way you live. Instead of constantly chasing satisfaction through things of this world, you will be deeply satisfied by a God who loves you immensely! Think of God as the Niagara Falls of joy, the flood of all good things. No wonder Paul prays that the Ephesians “would experience the fullness of God” (verses 18-19). Why live on half empty or worse when you can be fully satisfied in Him? Can you imagine the feeling of not needing anything else because you are so filled up and satisfied with the love of God? That’s the gospel! So, how do you get to the point of being “most satisfied in Him?” Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Do you understand that you can choose what you delight in? Delight is something you learn as you pursue something. Satisfaction in the Lord comes when we pursue Him and find true happiness and joy in all that He is. Once you delight yourself in the Lord, His desires become your desires. Here are three things you can do to cultivate your delight in the Lord: 1. E xercise your faith–Start with little things and entrust them to God. God is ready to prove Himself good and faithful. When you have developed a personal history of God’s faithfulness in your life, your trust will grow along with your satisfaction in Him. 2.Elevate your desires–A visit to the Grand Canyon will cure you of any awe of a ditch. Constantly seek to grow your appreciation of God’s greatness so lesser things don’t captivate your desires. 3.Express your thanks–Gratitude is not something you have to invent, but discover. God has been, is now, and forever will be doing good things. Slow down and be thankful. Careless living is what causes you to miss out on delight. Ultimately, the way to true satisfaction is by delighting yourself in the Lord. Will you take steps to grow in this? Pray it: God, show me where the wrong ways and places in which I am looking for satisfaction. Please forgive me for putting these things above You. Show me how to delight myself in Your love through exercising faith, seeking the best, and being thankful. Own it: • Start today with a faith proposition. Identify some way God can show you His goodness and faithfulness and voice this as a prayer request. Keep the request within the boundaries of what you know to be His character and purposes. (You can bet that asking for a million bucks to go on a vacation is a little off!) • Try this exercise today: ask five people who know you well this question: “What would you say is something (or someone) in my life for which I should thank God?” (In other words, name something for which I especially should be thankful.) • Try this as a way to witness to someone: Ask, “What satisfies you?” Listen carefully and seek to appreciate his or her answer. Ask other questions like, “Why does this satisfy you?” and “Do you think this works for others as well?” Share about this devotion and your own journey to find satisfaction in God. http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/we-want-you-tobe-a-christian-hedonist 12 53 Day 5: Attempt great things Read it: Genesis 2:7, Exodus 14:29-31, Joshua 10:12-14 Know it: William Carey, frequently remembered as the father of modern missions, once said, “Expect great things. Attempt great things.”13 Carey had an expectation that God would do incredible things. He believed that the Great Commission given to us by Jesus was a command for all believers and not just the ones who would be career missionaries. He inspired many people to travel around the world to spread the gospel. His vision came from reading everything God had done in His Word, such as how man was created from dust and how the Red Sea was split in two so God’s people could walk through to safety from the Egyptians. He believed what he read when Joshua asked God to make the sun stand still (and God did it!). Because of his expectation of God, Carey inspired countless people to not just attempt great things for God, but actually go out and do them! What are your expectations of what God can do? Based on what you have read in the Scriptures, do you expect God to do miraculous things through you? God still uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, but you have to remember the second part of Carey’s statement, “Attempt great things.” The belief that God will do great things means little until you attempt great things. “ God is looking for those through whom He can prove Himself glorious. ” You have the opportunity to show everyone around you that you believe God can do things no one else can. Be bold in your faith and expect God to do great things. Expecting and attempting great things with God starts with confidence in God’s promises. God has a plan for your life, one that will be used for amazing things to glorify Himself! Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” As you boldly attempt great things for God, you can walk confidently knowing that He will never leave you. 54 Expecting and attempting great things also requires knowing God’s purposes. God doesn’t need you to invent His agenda, but He does want you to get His heart: “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NASB). The Bible and history are filled with stories of great things accomplished with God by people who knew His heart and then stepped up in faith. Do you expect God to use you in this mission project to do things like what He promised throughout the Scriptures? What will you attempt to do, before you leave, in order to prepare yourself for the great things God will do there? Pray it: Lord,You have done great and mighty things throughout Your Word: things like splitting open the sea and making the sun stand still. Help me know Your heart and then give me the courage to attempt great things in Your name. Help me live a life of expectation with You that leads to great things You do through me. Own it: • Research someone who has attempted great things for God (Such as Eric Liddell, Lottie Moon, or Jim Elliot). Here is a good list to help out: whatchristianswanttoknow. com/10-famous-christian-missionaries. • Put on your reading list, Ten Who Changed the World by Daniel Akin: lifeway.com/ Product/TEN-WHO-CHANGED-THEWORLD-P005420530 • Brainstorm a list of things you can attempt for God (ideas: share the gospel every day until your trip, learn the language of the region you will be going, etc.). Pray for God to lead you to adopt one as He desires. • Post on Facebook or Twitter the William Carey quote, “Expect great things. Attempt great things.” Ask what others have attempted for God. 13 http://www.wmcarey.edu/carey/expect WEEK 4 - ABANDON FEAR We live in a fearful age. Thanks to global media and technology, we can know all the problems in the world as they happen. The constant barrage of “end-of-everything-as-we-know-it” stories and movies is testimony to our conscious or sub-conscious feeling that things aren’t getting better. Add to that a personal sense of inadequacy that many of us feel inside, and it’s a wonder we get out of bed in the morning! Take heart! God has this world in His hands and is working all things toward a wonderful and beautiful new beginning. He is looking for those who will abandon their fears and join Him in building His kingdom. Day 1: What are you afraid of? Read it: Matthew 14:22-33 Know it: I’m terrified of snakes. I mean a downright, screamlike-a-school-girl, fear of snakes. Any time I see them, I ponder why God would have made a creature so detestable and scary. My terror brought me to a screeching halt when I discovered a snake lying across our doorstep. I was paralyzed in fear. Step over it? Never. Pick it up? Definitely not. Run away? Highly likely! For 10 solid minutes I waited and debated about how to get in my house, and then my friend showed up, nonchalantly grabbed a stick and tossed the snake out of our way. Seemed pretty simple for him; not so for me. What are your deepest fears? Do you find yourself paralyzed in the grip of them? In Matthew 14, the disciples were in a bit of a pinch, tossed in a little boat in the midst of a raging storm. Just when they thought things couldn’t get worse, they saw a figure moving toward them across the waves. In terror they yelled out, “It’s a ghost!” They were more than just startled, because they also “cried out in fear.” Remember, these were grown men and several of them were veteran sailors, but the combination of darkness, a violent storm on the lake, and a shadowy figure hovering over the water was just too much. I’m guessing that you’ve also been at a place where you were so gripped with terror that you cried out in fear. Not all fear is the “dark, stormy night” kind. Perhaps the prospects of this mission trip and crossing cultures into the unknown has got you worried, or it maybe you’re nervous about being so far from home, flying on an airplane, or becoming another statistic in the daily report of bad news in the world. No matter the source of the tension, the real question is: How do you handle your fears? Immediately after the disciples gave in to their fears, Jesus arrived to calm them: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (verse 27). Then He got into the boat with them. His words must have been as calming as the gentle waves had been before the storm, but His presence in the boat was the clincher. Jesus is the best One to calm your heart and truly dissipate your fears. “ Then and now, His voice stills the noise and the storms, and reminds us that He’s in the boat with us. ” Moments after Jesus announced Himself, Peter asked permission to come out onto the water with Him. He was confident that Jesus was in control–clearly this request was proof. But just as quickly as he acknowledged his belief in Jesus with a step out onto the water, he become distracted. The fear returned and he began to sink. Why? The Bible tells us that Peter “saw the wind” (verse 30) and took his eyes off his anchor, Jesus Christ. This is the great lesson for battling and abandoning fear: keeping your eyes on Jesus. He is the fixed point worthy of your faith, always steady and dependable, ready to sustain you, strengthen you, and comfort you when you are scared and can’t see the way. Hebrews 12:2 urges us to be “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” When you face the unknown, Jesus is the only One who can turn your fear into joy. Just as Peter discovered, His hands will always be there to pick you up. Will you keep your eyes on Him today? Will you abandon your fears and then turn them over to Jesus, the anchor of your very soul? Pray it: Lord Jesus, thank You for being the Author and Perfecter of my faith. Help me keep my focus on You so I will not fear. When I am afraid, remind me to trust that You are with me, always available to pull me up. Own it: • Do you have any fears related to going on your mission project? The first steps toward peace are to identify them and share them with God. Do this in your journal. • Listen to “Take Heart” by Hillsong United: youtube.com/watch?v=8MfBQ30Ta9w. • Memorize Hebrews 12:2. 55 Day 2: Don’t miss your assignment Read it: 1 Corinthians 3:3-8 Know it: “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”14 I don’t know about you but I can’t stand failure. I worry so much about trying something that sometimes I don’t even start because of the possibility of failing. Do you ever feel like that? As your mission trip comes closer, are you thinking about the possibility that you might fail in your assignment? What if you fail at sharing the gospel? What if you’ve never led someone else to Christ and are not sure what to say or do? Could you mess up so bad that someone never comes to Christ? So many Christians never share the gospel with those closest to them for fear of failing. In fact, many people stop trusting in God for fear of not living up to His expectations. God wants to use you in ways you could never imagine, but if fear of failure wins out, you might never be able to see those results. Paul addressed the church in Corinth about a division among the people, the result of jealousy in an argument over who was most important to the Corinthian church. In the middle of his discourse, Paul explained a truth about salvation that is intriguing. Paul noted that while some people plant the seed and others water it, it is God who is ultimately the one who makes it grow. God is the one who takes our work of witness and brings it to fruition. God uses our imperfect, human lives to help bring someone to faith. We get to make a contribution, but in the end, God is the one who delivers the results! This is such a freeing thought. Just as you can’t take the credit for someone’s salvation when you “share or water” since it is God who brings about the growth, so you don’t bear the burden of failure when your witness doesn’t seem to make a difference.You can trust that God will use your work to accomplish His will regardless of how inadequate, unworthy or unsure you feel.You can be confident that God’s mission will be accomplished as you act in obedience. First John 5:2-3 explains how it is your obedience that God desires: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” 56 “ God has assignments He has designed especially for you. ” When you live in obedience to God’s commands, you don’t have to worry about failure because He promises to use your obedience to further His glory throughout the earth. Imagine if you let go of your fear of failure and begin to trust completely that God will bless your obedience. “Each has the role the Lord has given” (verse 5, HCSB). If you play your role, who knows? Hungry children might be fed, a single mother might sleep with a roof over her head, and a town may have the chance to see unconditional love communicated in ways never seen before. Tangible expressions of the gospel and an opportunity to hear the message of Jesus are made possible through your acts of obedience! So, trust that God has your back! Have faith that God just desires your obedience and leave the results up to Him! Pray it: Lord, give me the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it. Help me trust that all You desire of me is my obedience and that You will take care of the results. Remove my fears so I may show my faith through my obedience to Your Word. Own it: • Watch the video, “Surmountable Fear” and be encouraged in your decision to serve on mission: vimeo.com/22339191. • Who have you been afraid to share your faith with? Make this person the focus of your prayers in the days ahead. Pray for the opportunity and courage to share. • In your journal, write down how you would share the the gospel. Create a video that explains the gospel in 30 seconds and post it to social media. • Share any fears you have about your mission project with your prayer partners. Join them in praying that you will be released from your fears before you begin your trip. 14 https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt Day 3: Fear God and nothing else Read it: 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 1:7, 9:10 Know it: God never intended for us to be fearful of anything but Him. Fear of God does not mean that we are literally scared of Him, but rather have a deep reverence and sense of awe for who He is and what He can do through His power. God’s Word even says that we cannot be wise unless we fear Him. But still, we often struggle with other fears of the unknown, of suffering we may endure, of the shame we might face, and of bad things we may encounter. Jesus puts even the worst of these things into perspective: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). So if God is the one who has taken care of your eternity and showers you with grace, what do you have to fear? Instead of hanging onto fear, embrace the power, love and self-control that 2 Timothy 1:7 describes! God has given you a spirit of power. Through the Holy Spirit you are able to receive power to spread the gospel message to the ends of the earth! “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). “ We have a holy power that frees us from the power of fear and helps us accomplish similar things Jesus did! You have the power to spread the gospel without limitations. gratify the desires of the flesh.” Sin is what keeps us separated from a holy and righteous God. Therefore the Holy Spirit is given to us so that we may have a sound mind and exercise self-control over our desires. Recognize that you have something greater than fear living in you today.You have the Spirit of the Living God! Pray it: Lord, thank You so much for not giving me a spirit of fear but one of power, love, and self-control.Thank You for using these qualities to help me deal with fear in my life. Own it: • Like Timothy had Paul as a mentor in his life, who is a mentor to you? If you cannot name someone, make that an immediate matter of prayer and discernment to find a godly, older, same-sex adult who can speak truth into your life. • Power, love, and self-control are characteristics of your new identity in Christ. How is God leading you to express each today? - W ith the spirit of power, to whom could you go and share the message of God’s love? - W ho needs your forgiveness or effort of reconciliation? - W hat “desire of the flesh” do you need to bring before God in confession and seek the spirit of self-control to stop feeding that sin? ” God also has given you a spirit of love. Because of this spirit you are able to love others in ways that do not make sense to the world.You can sacrifice for people who need it, like Christ did.You have the spirit to forgive like Jesus mentioned to Peter in Matthew 18:22 (77 times!) From this same spirit of love you can have great compassion for those who are lost. This spirit of love drives you to share the gospel with those in our corners of the world and with those across the ocean. Finally, you have the spirit of self-control. Through God’s power, you are able to keep sin from creeping into your life and controlling your desires. Galatians 5:16 says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not 57 Day 4: Acknowledge Him Read it: Luke 12:8-12 Know it: What can make evangelism so tough for some Christians is that they imagine it to be a complicated presentation or perhaps a polished speech with an impressive testimony. Do you have a hard time sharing about what Jesus did for you? Do you get all sweaty and nervous when you feel like you are supposed to share the gospel? While these may be signs of fear that you don’t know what to say or may not have good answers to questions or that your delivery will be poor or your efforts will be rejected, the bigger issue is whether you will simply acknowledge Jesus before others. Does Jesus ask you to give an awesome testimony? Does Jesus require you to be a skillful Christian apologist? Does Jesus demand that you be articulate and outgoing and engaging? While all these are worthy things, the answer is no. In each case Jesus does, however, insist that you acknowledge Him before others. In Luke 12, He promises that the Holy Spirit will always give you the words to say when you need them the most. The fear of saying the wrong thing or even not knowing what to say should not keep you from sharing the truth and love of Christ with others. “ Be faithful to acknowledge Me before others, Jesus says, and I will help you with the words to say. There are many ways to prepare to share the gospel with others, but it is best to start by preparing your own heart to recognize divine opportunities. Start each day ready to look for ways to acknowledge Christ to others who need Him. Begin to explore some of the methods that have been developed to aid in evangelism. Pick something you feel comfortable doing, then watch for cues that may be open doors for sharing the gospel. Practice weaving your story of how Jesus changed your life into conversations and pray that God would make you bold! Abandon your fears! Pray it: Lord, remind me of the moment when You changed my life. Thank You for acknowledging me before the Father and giving me eternal life. I thank You in advance for giving me the words to say to others. Prepare me to share the gospel both now and on my trip and open my eyes to the many opportunities to share the good news with others! Own it: ” Second Peter 1:3 tells us God has given us every single thing we need: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” If you have everything you need to live a life that glorifies Him, that also means you will have the words to say when you share about the love of Christ.You are given the words to say because God wants everyone to know Him and desires no one to live a life separated from Him. God’s provision, however, does not exclude your preparation. What if you prepared yourself for the Holy Spirit to give you words? What if you prepared your heart in such a way to minimize your fears? Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” I have learned that the best way to remove fear is to practice whatever it is I am afraid of doing. It honors God when we prepare ourselves to share the gospel. First Peter 3:15 tells us, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being 58 prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” It is a good thing to always be prepared to give an answer to the hope you have in Jesus Christ. • Watch this series by Andy Stanley to help prepare you to “make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you:” preparedseries.org. • Pick a way to explain the gospel and practice it daily. Some methods include: Creation to Christ (found in this resource and at imbstudents.org), the Bridge method (see Navigators.org), 3 Circles (namb. net/video/3circlesguide), and the Big Story (mentioned in week 2, day 2). Day 5: Let Him be your stronghold Read it: 1 John 4:16-18; Psalm 27 Know it: One of the greatest truths we can claim in Scripture is this: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18). While many of us have this passage memorized, we find it hard to apply. Combining this passage with Psalm 27 can help get an even greater picture of God’s perfect love and how it removes fear in our lives. First, John teaches us that the greatest fear is of being judged and rejected by God. All other fears have their basis in what it means to be alone and on our own. So if God saves us from judgment and comes to live in us in love, our biggest fear is gone! God redeemed us from sin when He sent Jesus, who died for us on the cross and was raised back to life. We are free from the power that sin can have over us and we also are free from the punishment of sin, as it says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We deserved death because of our sinful nature that is at war against God, who is perfect and holy. Our punishment should be a spiritual death that separates us from a good God forever, but Christ took our punishment for us. God was pleased “through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20). Our punishment is settled, and according to 1 John 4:18, our fear is cast out because of the love that Christ showed us. Next, we can appreciate the application of this fearlessness in Psalm 27. David had great joy in claiming the Lord as the strength of his life. God never changes, nor can He be moved. He is the almighty, omnipotent God who can overpower anything in this world because He spoke it into existence. When we understand how strong our God is, and that he is forever on our side, then truly we can have no fear because nothing can defeat Him and hurt us. “ You are never alone and never out of God’s hands. ” Make no mistake: fearful things will still come your way, but the difference is that you have a Father who is looking out for you. David said, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5). Trouble will come, but the Lord will be faithful to lead you through it and bring you to a better place. Pray it: Lord, thank You so much for loving me enough to reconcile me back to You.Thank You for freeing me from the punishment of sin.Without You I have plenty of reasons to be afraid, but because You are my stronghold, I have no fear. Own it: • In your journal, personalize and paraphrase Psalm 27 to match your circumstances. David’s challenges were in people like King Saul seeking to destroy him and other men wanting to discredit him and his kingship. What are yours? • Memorize Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” • Create a lock screen on your phone using Psalm 27:1. Every time you are tempted to become afraid, be reminded of what the Lord thinks about you and how He is your stronghold. (Pro tip: use an app like Wordswag.) The Lord is able to protect us and watch over us, and becomes like a stronghold for us in a war. A stronghold was a heavily fortified point that offered great protection from attacks, but David was not thinking of mere physical protection, but of a personal relationship with almighty God that would stand any test. If God loves you, has you in His grip, and promises to get you though no matter what, what is there to fear? Not only is God your protection, He is also the source of your faith in order to get rid of fear. 59 WEEK 5 - ABANDON SHAME Christians are supposed to have their act together, right? It is amazing how much our society likes to expose hypocrisy but then do absolutely nothing about it. Let’s be frank here: your decision to go on a mission trip has painted a target on your back.You can play the pretend game quite well if you stay back from the front lines and hang with the crowd, but getting into God’s mission exposes you to the enemy.You need not be afraid, but you do need to get real about leaving sin and shame behind. Day 1: Get forgiven Read it: John 4:4-30 Know it: Is there something in your life over which you feel shame and regret? John tells us about a woman who encountered Christ at a well. She came at a time when no one else was around because of her poor reputation and the shame she felt. The hottest part of the day was a bad time to get water but a fine time to escape the talk of the others who knew her sin. Her shame was speaking for her, making her hide, making her cringe and making her wish she was someone else. Have you ever felt like that—so shameful for what you’ve done in the past or are doing now that you feel completely unworthy, like you’ll never be good enough? Do you wonder who knows about the real you? Do you find yourself living a secretive life, hiding what you feel or do in the shadows, praying no one finds out? Shame has a way of dogging your every step. It is burden you are reminded of every time you look in the mirror, when you make a mistake, or when you hear a parent express his or her disappointment. It’s the constant memory of what you did one night with that guy or girl. It’s the endless images you can’t seem to escape on your phone or laptop or TV. It’s that thing you can’t stop doing. Maybe you weren’t the cause of your shame. Perhaps you feel a confused mess of anger and self-loathing because of how someone took advantage of you years ago. Or maybe it comes from the fact that you never seemed to fit in with the right kind of people because they rejected you for some stupid reason like your looks or grades or lack of ability. “ ” Maybe the words you hear ringing the loudest are those that were spoken with the intent to tear you down, and they came from people you trust and love. Do you want out of the darkness that keeps you from experiencing freedom? Well, you can be free from guilt and shame! The path starts with learning that Jesus has already paid the price of your sin debt. Far too many of us feel dirty, worthless and ashamed of ourselves when we could be living in freedom. C. S. Lewis wrote, “I sometimes think that shame, mere awkward, senseless shame, does as much toward preventing good acts and straightforward happiness as any of our vices can do.” 15 Let’s be clear in saying that shame and guilt can run deep in your life. The gospel of Jesus Christ is no magic potion that instantly gets rid of all the faulty ways of thinking, the broken relationships, and crummy habits. But the gospel is what you desperately need to get at the heart of the situation. Address the shame of your own sin. Learn to live and take comfort in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness” (emphasis added). God forgives your sins if you confess and turn from them. You don’t have to worry about them, because God forgets them and your relationship is restored. When you choose to follow Christ, you get a direct connection with the Creator of the universe Who loves you no matter what you have done or will ever do. Romans 8:1 explains this, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Shame also comes from sins that we can’t seem to shake or get away from. We’ll deal with these in the next devotions. There’s also shame that comes from a past of abuse by another. If that is the case for you, please seek godly help and counsel. See the suggestions below in the “Own it” section. There is a verse that is a great comfort to any believer who struggles with leftover feelings of shame and regret: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I Lewis, C.S., The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002) p. 444. 15 60 Shame seems to be the worst when it comes from those who were supposed to love you and be there for you. now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). As believers we are sinners, but we are justified. We have a shameful past, but we have a better future. We used to walk in foolishness and rebellion, but now we walk in newness of life. God has forgiven every sin, even those for which we feel the greatest shame and regret. We can move on. has delivered many people with your same sin. God is ready to provide others to walk with you. Look at Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Don’t deal with temptation alone, it only leads to sorrow and failure. Pray it: Lord, help me move from shame to joy because I know that I am not condemned by my sin. I know this because of what Christ did on the cross. Because of Your forgiveness, I adore You. Second, believe that “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” God is always faithful. He will always watch out for you and take care of you, even when you don’t realize it. “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Do you know how He is faithful? He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. That statement doesn’t mean that in your strength alone you can resist temptation. If that were the case, we wouldn’t need to talk about this! No, it means that God is ready to help you work through your temptation for sin so that you will praise Him when you overcome it. Own it: • Read more about the biblical understanding of shame and how to deal with it: gotquestions.org/shame-regret.html. • Do you struggle with a past that involves abuse from another? Read “Overcoming memories of past sexual abuse,” from Focus on the Family, as a starting place to get help: family.custhelp.com/app/answers/ detail/a_id/25859/~/overcoming-memories-of-past-sexual-abuse. • Write out a prayer that you can say whenever you begin to feel shameful. Make sure it is focused on the goodness of God so you won’t think about yourself. • Make it a point to daily confess your sin before a holy and righteous God. Day 2: Endure and overcome Read it: 1 Corinthians 10:13 Know it: Did you just read that verse? No for real, read it again. This is THE verse you need when you feel like moving into some kind of sin that you have been doing over and over and over and think there is no way out. Let’s break it down to see how this verse will point you to God every single time. First, realize that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” There is nothing new in this world. Someone has gone through the temptation you are currently dealing with.You are not alone in this; there are people out there who have dealt with it. For instance, there are websites on websites that are available as a resource to help you with your problem (just be careful how you search!) because God Third, look for this to be true: “but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” Endure is probably not the word you want to hear. “ Who wants to endure temptation? ” We want quick deliverance from our sin, but God wants to use the temptations we face to help us turn to Him. God will get the glory when you overcome a temptation because He has helped you through it. We know this because of James 1:2-4: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” You can be joyful as you learn how God will help you overcome habitual sins. He will use the challenge to overcome temptation as a way to strengthen you and bring you closer to Him. If you believe this, you won’t keep asking for deliverance, but for the way to endure and overcome. The day will come when you will say, “Now I can help someone else make it through. Glory to God!” Before your mission trip, deal with the sins that keep cropping up in your life. Don’t give the devil an opportunity to sabotage your service and witness or make you feel unworthy while you are ministering through the Holy Spirit. 61 Pray it: Lord,You know this shame that comes from sins I can’t seem to shake. Show me the way to endure and overcome through this struggle. Give me courage and bring me to others that can help and hold me accountable. Give me joy as I see You help me overcome. Own it: • Start a “Fight Club.” Fight Clubs are not traditional accountability groups. Fight Clubs are same-gender groups that gather weekly to be honest and open with each other about their struggles with sin. They are not gatherings of legalistic accountability, neither are they confessional booth accountability. Instead, a Fight Club is where people listen to one another, encourage one another, challenge one another to keep the gospel as their central motivation, and fight for holiness together by seeking the will of the Father. Fight Clubs originated as a men’s movement. See: fightclub414.com • Here’s an article to help you deal with pornography: gcdiscipleship.com/6-essential-ingredients-for-repenting-of-pornography. Day 3: Lose to live Read it: Acts 3:19-20 Know it: Repentance can be described as two things: changing your mind and changing your direction. First there is the change of heart and mind. When you repent, you tell God you are sincerely remorseful about what you have done, that you are done with the behavior, and you’re tired of living in shame. Second, you stop going the wrong way and start going the right way.You take action to pursue God fully, allowing nothing else to get in the way.You want His way in your life and nothing else will do. God will help you to act differently, but He waits for you to humble yourself. Abandon your pride and learn to live. When you truly repent, you will experience a sense of refreshment, a weight off of your shoulders, and a “peace which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Repentance can only occur when we see the weight of our sins in comparison to the amazing grace of God and the work of Jesus on the cross. Christ has offered us the way to be restored back to God and 62 be at peace with Him. In our repentance, peace comes, not just for our own good, but also so that we will be spurred on to carry the gospel to others and see them receive peace with God. Isn’t that some amazing grace? Grace doesn’t just work in us to lead us to repentance, but also to propel us and work through us to spread this joy to others! The experience of God’s grace is what will lead you to respond to situations with love and gentleness.Your heart will begin to yearn for those in need.You will be moved to love and serve those who are in your daily life and those who cross your path.You might feed someone who is homeless, help someone with a flat tire, give a ride to an international student, or just listen to someone who is hurting. God’s grace in your life lets you die to yourself and step out in faith. Through your repentance and the gift of forgiveness, you will appreciate God’s call to serve others as Christ did: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This process will replace your shame with joy as you let God’s grace become your fuel to serve others. “ The gospel leads you to repentance and then causes you to love and minister to others. ” Is this your experience? Let the gospel renew your heart and repent of your sins daily. Drink deep in the refreshing love of Christ so you can give up your life for the sake of the gospel. In Luke 9:24 Jesus says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” The world will not understand Jesus’ call to die to our own desires and dreams, but God helps us to see that such a sacrifice leads to a much greater gain. Lose to live. Not only will you be refreshed, but the mission you are about to embark on will be a joy and not a burden. God has graciously forgiven you. Don’t keep that to yourself – allow God’s grace to propel you! Pray it: Lord, help me understand that repentance doesn’t work if I just confess and then don’t change direction. Help me seek forgiveness with a genuine and sincere heart to pursue You. As I turn from my sin, help me to experience the peace and refreshment that Your grace gives me. Please let Your grace propel me to serve others. Help me die to myself every day, especially as I serve You during my trip. Own it: • Do a real repentance self-exam: are there sins in your life that you have confessed but not really turned from? Real repentance does not mean you will never sin again, but it will result in a turn-around and a new direction. Do you need to do the work of real repentance? • It’s time to get ready to cross cultures. Find a ministry to internationals in your area like Muslims or Hindus and offer to serve in some way. #UhOh #GetOutOfYourComfortZone #CrossCultures • Alternative to the above: Let your experience of God’s grace lead you to go and serve someone you know. Some examples could be: Scrub all their toilets, mow their lawn, help them run errands, etc. Day 4: Guard your heart Read it: Matthew 15:17-19 Know it: Have you ever said something you wish you could take back? Have you said, “Can I try saying that again a different way?” or “I really didn’t mean that”? The difficulty of taking back something you’ve said is that likely it reveals in some sense how you really feel. Jesus said in Matthew 15:18, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” The words that come out of your mouth are an overflow of your heart, not just your mind. Given some time to think about your words, you might make a wiser choice, but sooner or later, what is in your heart will make itself known.Your heart is the central place that guides everything you do. Your heart not only determines your words, but also your thoughts and actions as well. “ What is in your heart governs what you think and do. ” Jesus also said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (verse 19). Wow, that is stinking scary! This is essentially saying that saying hurtful things, looking at porn, lying to loved ones, and committing other sins happen because of what is in your heart. The things that come out of your heart are the source of your shame! You might be thinking, “I’ll never get to the point of killing someone, or sleeping with someone else’s spouse.” This can be true, as long as you protect what goes into your heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Other translations use the words, “guard your heart.” Guard your heart because, according to the writer of Proverbs, everything else in your life flows from it. Sounds exactly like what Jesus was talking about, doesn’t it? Take care of what goes into your heart, and you will see better results with what words come out of your mouth and what thoughts go through your head. Have you ever heard the phrase “Garbage In, Garbage Out?” Basically, it means that whatever goes in will come out. If you put garbage into your heart, then garbage will come out. If you put things in that honor the Lord, then your mouth will praise Him and your thoughts and actions will bring glory to God.You must be careful of what gets into your heart.You do this by protecting what you see and hear. Ask yourself, “Is what I look at throughout my day going to bring God glory or make me ashamed if someone found out?” This could be music, movies, video games, TV shows, etc. Or the danger could lie in social media. Beware that bitterness can enter your heart through the constant temptation to compare your life and experiences to others’ through apps like Facebook and Instagram. Can you imagine what it would be like if you didn’t have to worry about the words you spoke? Or struggle with the thoughts in your head? Or constantly second-guess your actions? Your feelings of shame would truly be a thing of the past! Realize that this is actually possible when you get serious about guarding your heart. Before you leave for your trip, make this a priority so everything that comes out of your heart will bring glory to God. Pray it: Lord, I understand that what goes into my heart is what will come out. Help me to guard my heart with complete vigilance so that I may honor and glorify You. Show me what I must stop allowing in, and direct me to things I need to start putting in so that I can change what comes out of me. Lord, have Your way in Me. Own it: • Garbage check. What’s stinking in your heart? Make a list of everything you watched or listened to in the past 48 hours, then determine what helped your heart glorify God and what didn’t. Take steps to remove what didn’t from your life. 63 • Check out these websites to help you with guarding your heart: - Pluggedin.com – media reviews that focus on purity - Covenanteyes.com – media reviews that focus on purity - Bible.com/reading-plans – daily reading plans from the YouVersion Bible app Day 5: Ready, aim, set! Read it: Romans 8:1-11; Galatians 5:19-23 Know it: Do you ever ask yourself, why did I just do that? As in you actually can’t believe you just did that? You think, “It’s not like me to act that way, to do something I hate.” Do you wonder why you mess up, want to stop and just feel like you can’t? This isn’t anything new. In fact Paul talked about his own struggle with the sinful nature in Romans 7:14-24. (Go ahead, read it too.) That passage is meant to illustrate the problem. So, how do you stop doing what you hate so you can truly live in freedom? Paul turned the corner in verse 25: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” He then explained the way forward in chapter eight. Romans 8:5-7 shows us the two different mindsets possible for humans: those who are focused on their sinful nature, and those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit.The sinful nature is the desire to do things that go against God–those very things that cause you to say, “I can’t believe I did that!” Or you might also say: • I can’t believe I just said that! • I can’t believe I just desired to do that! • I can’t believe I just looked at that! • I can’t believe I just slept with him! • Why did I just steal that? • I can’t believe I just got so angry! Where did that came from? • I can’t believe I didn’t tell her about Jesus! The opposite, or new nature, is to place yourself under the control of the Spirit.You deliberately focus your interests (verse 5: “set your mind”) on the things of the Spirit. In Galatians 5, Paul described the fruit of the Spirit (verses 22-23) in stark contrast to the acts of the sinful nature (verses 19–21) so we can see how important it is to walk by the Spirit.Walk alone, and watch 64 out! Stuff like sexual immorality, fits of rage, and selfish ambition (just to name but three of the acts of sinful nature) are in your path.Walk with the Spirit, and see qualities such as love, kindness, and self-control show up in abundance. So how do you do this “Spirit walk” and move from the sinful nature, which causes you shame, to a mind set on life and peace? Consider this: ready, aim, set! Start with the fact that you don’t do this as a self-help program. Realize you can’t fix yourself.You need the renewing power of the Holy Spirit to train your mind to think differently. “ God did not design the Christian life as a pathway toward independence, but as a walk of growing dependence on Him. ” The new law of the Spirit says that only by living in union with Christ Jesus can believers break the power of sin in their lives. Get ready to lean on the Spirit every single day of your life. Second, aim for the things of the Spirit. This takes some study, as in learning who and what it is the Spirit loves. It’s hard to aim for the good stuff when you don’t even know what it is. Thankfully, this is no mystery. For instance, the longest chapter in the Bible (Psalm 119) is an extensive celebration of what it means to love God and His Word. Finally, set your mind on these things. The fruit of walking in the Spirit and the power to turn away from sin begins with decision points you will encounter hundreds of times each day. Consider it this way: if you commit yourself in marriage, will you continue to “window shop” and see others as a possible mate? Making the hard choices up front will strengthen your resolve to be obedient in every thought, word, and deed. Kari Jobe has said, “The presence of the Holy Spirit removes all fear, shame, and slavery. Consider this truth, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM. Freedom from sin, freedom from burdens, freedom from shame, and freedom from chains!”16 https://www.bible.com/en/ reading-plans/1228-kari-jobe-majestic-theoverflow-devo/ day/5 16 As followers of Christ we have the Holy Spirit. Jesus died for our freedom from the passions and desires of the sinful nature. Don’t follow them anymore. Respond to the Spirit calling you to live a life of freedom! Stop being held back by what Jesus already forgave. You no longer have a debt to pay and you don’t have to work to please God.You are free to walk with the Spirit as your best Friend and live a life that shows everyone around you that you are God’s. Pray it: Lord, I’ve tried to stop doing things I hate. I hate that I do them. I realize I can’t fix myself and that is why Jesus had to come and die.Thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit to help me stop doing things that I despise. Help me realize I can’t fix myself and that only through Your Spirit’s leading can I overcome this. Help me realize that and respond to the Spirit, so I may live a life that shows I am Yours. Own it: • Write in your journal the things you hate that you do, even knowing that they are wrong. • Listen to “Holy Spirit” by Kari Jobe: youtube.com/watch?v=XPPMSfCdUng. Sit in God’s presence for as long as you need to, and listen to Him. Finally, respond in your journal to what God’s Spirit is telling you. 65 WEEK 6 - ABANDON ALL ... FOR HIS GLORY This week of devotions are intended, if possible, to culminate with your service on the mission field. It’s time to turn the corner from what you have abandoned (left behind) to what you can now abandon yourself to. Abandonment is not the idea of being orphaned or marooned, but of giving yourself wholly and even recklessly to something or Someone. This is a constant feature in Oswald Chambers’ devotions in My Utmost for His Highest. Go now and run, fixing your eyes on Jesus. have an overabundance of joy and can’t help but be a cheerleader of praise. Joy is not something you have to manufacture.You just need to know where to find it. Find it in being forgiven (Psalm 32), in God’s intimate knowledge of you (Psalm 139), or in rescuing you out of trouble (Psalm 40). Once you get started, praising God will just come naturally. It will result in the overflow of our joy. No matter what is going on in your life, you can rejoice because God is in control and brings glory through every circumstance. Day 1: Live to praise Pray without ceasing. The psalmist reminds us that praise is for everyone and everywhere. No wonder that Paul calls us to constant prayer. There really is a sense that the “amen” in our prayers is not an ending but simply a way to change the subject. Prayer can be a constant communication with God. Talk to Him as you are waiting for a class to start, while sitting in traffic, before you need to make an important decision, when you’re stressed out, when you’re excited, or even as you sit and don’t know what to do. Can you imagine what it would mean to your life if you could be in constant communication with God and tuned into His glory? Read it: Psalm 148 Know it: Ramp up to the speed of missions by bringing on the praise. Set the pace for whatever comes next by blessing God here and now. The glory of the Lord comes from many places. As you can see through this Psalm, everything from the angels in heaven, to the people on the earth, to the depths of the ocean will glorify His name. Praise is just one of the many ways God receives glory. The thing to notice is that praise is not just limited to human beings. Anything within the earth and outside of the earth can praise Him. Sometimes we think we are the only ones who recognize God as King and Lord. God is creator of everything and is master of all, so He gets the glory from every single thing. He is worthy of it all. Start praising. This Psalm also shows some of the magnitude of praise due to God. If all of creation praises Him, we should do no less. If there are things in nature that are awesome, imagine the One who made them up! Start having a lifestyle of praise. Praise the Lord when you wake up and thank Him for being the One who makes the weather. When you go to bed, praise Him for creating the stars in the night skies. During the day, stop and praise Him for creating the earth in which you live and enjoy. “ Find new ways to praise the Lord in every aspect of the day. ” Having the same mindset Paul mentions in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 will help you with this: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Rejoice always. The psalmist is dedicated to showing how worthy God is of our praise. He seems to 66 Give thanks in all circumstances. The psalmist also tells us that praise is for every thing. Every created thing is a reason to praise the Lord, and the list is almost endless. This makes us recognize His great power and spurs us to begin giving thanks, not just for everything He has formed–the sun and moon, animals, all peoples of the earth–but for being the kind of God who creates these things–our almighty, sovereign Heavenly Father. James calls Him “the father of lights” from whom comes every good and perfect gift (James 1: 17). When you can thank God for the things around you and by focus on who He is, you will begin to have an “attitude of gratitude” every day. Then when circumstances around you seem terrible, you will see ways to honestly thank God even during those times. Pray it: Lord, I praise You for every single thing You have created. I pray that everything in this earth and from the earth will praise You. Praise You for the heavens, praise You for the animals, and praise You for sending Your Son to redeem the earth back to You. I praise You! Own it: • It is said that exercise is a good way to beat jetlag. Consider that praising God will be a good way to navigate the newness of your mission field and all it presents.You will not leave God at home; you will get to encounter new facets of this same wonderful God wherever you go! Head to your mission trip ready to express your praise to Him right away. • Start a practice of finding ways to praise and thank God at the beginning of every prayer. Don’t make this a ritual, but an honest effort to see the good in God. There’s a good reason David said, “I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin” (Psalm 84:10, The Message). • Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Day 2: Live for His glory Read it: 1 Corinthians 10:31 Know it: The question I hear the most from people is, “How do I figure out God’s will for my life?” but what they are really asking is, “What am I supposed to be doing right now?” We do know God has a plan for our lives, but Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that whatever we do, we should do it all to the glory of God. That means whether you are searching for what your career will be or sitting down to a meal, you are to do it all for the glory of the Lord. God’s glory can come from your actions because you were created for His glory. Has everything you’ve done so far on this project glorified the Lord? This morning were your initial thoughts of grumbling and complaining or praise to the Lord? It can be tough to live out what Paul says! In Isaiah 43:7, God calls back to Himself “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” God created each and every single one of us for one single purpose: to show His glory through us. John Piper explains what this looks like, “…when God says he made us for his glory, he does not mean he made us so that he could become more glorious in himself. Instead what Isaiah 43:7 means is that he created us to display his glory, that is, that his glory might be known and praised.”17 https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/god-createdus-for-his-glory 17 “ You were created so God could display His mighty power through you. ” When the world sees you and your good deeds, it will glorify God because of them.You were designed for a specific purpose. Jesus knew that His life and work was to glorify the Lord. John 17:4 records this: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” This statement was made right before Jesus was arrested, put on trial, crucified, died, and rose from the grave. Jesus glorified God by giving us a chance to have a relationship with the God who made us! So what is your work? What are you supposed to be doing? What is God’s will for your life? Don’t get so hung up on a detailed plan from God that you miss the here-and-now. Let Ephesians 2:10 give you a daily dose: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” You are created in Christ Jesus for good works.You are to live like Christ and accomplish what He accomplished: loving others, loving God, living out God’s glory on this earth, dying to yourself, and serving others. So what will you do today? Whatever you decide to do remember why you were created...for His glory alone. Abandon all to accomplish the goal. Pray it: Lord, help me always remember why I was created. Help me daily live with the expectation that whatever I do, it is for Your glory. Help me trust that You will guide me when I abandon myself completely to Your glory. Own it: • Look at your schedule for the week. Determine how you can remember to glorify God through everything on your calendar. Maybe that is pray before you go into a meeting, spend time texting your accountability partner (or fight club), spending time in the Word, making sure what you put into your body guards your heart, etc. • Begin to prepare your heart for your trip by creating a playlist that will help your thoughts glorify the Lord. • Start posting on your social media for others to pray for you and the people you will encounter on your trip. 67 Day 3: Take a stand in danger because of their belief that only Jesus Christ saves. If they were caught with something like this devotion, they could face jail time, physical persecution or even death. Read it: Daniel 3 Know it: Do you believe God is preparing to use you for something important? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had no idea what God was going to do through them. They had been taken from their homeland by the Babylonians and forced to change everything about their lives. They drew the line when it came to compromising their beliefs and worship of the God of Israel. Eventually this led to these three friends facing the ultimate challenge regarding their allegiance to God. King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that they join everyone else in bowing down and worshipping a golden statue. Most people would have given in when threatened with death, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God’s glory was at stake. The way these three responded is incredible. They were willing to abandon their lives, but they were not willing to abandon God’s glory. This is their response to being threatened: “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (verses 17-18). They had faith that God could protect them from the furnace but also the willingness to accept God’s sovereignty if He didn’t. Either way, God would still receive all the glory. If your faith was challenged today, would you stand up to the test? Think of it as not what you are willing to abandon, but what you are not willing to abandon. “ What are your non-negotiables in life? ” Is God’s glory at the top of that list? This would mean that your comforts are expendable. Being ridiculed for your faith or being thrown in jail would not be things to avoid at all costs. Even, if by chance, your life was threatened as a result of your belief in the God who created the universe, this too would fall below standing up for God. What would it take for you to stand up with utmost commitment for God to be glorified through your life or your death? On a daily basis across the world, many brothers and sisters in Christ face the same reality that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced. They are 68 Oh wait, there is more to the story of these three guys. After they were thrown into the furnace, there was a fourth person who joined them there. Whoever this fourth person was (“the fourth is like a son of the gods”), he protected them and even kept them from the smell of fire. Not a hair on their head was singed. Nebuchadnezzar took them out of the furnace and immediately changed his attitude. He said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God” (verse 28). Because of these three friends’ faithfulness, God was glorified. Plus, the king went on to decree that the Lord should be honored throughout the land of Babylon. Talk about influencing a nation for God’s glory! Pray it: Lord, my desire is for Your name to be made famous across the earth. Use my life to make that happen. Prepare my heart to not hold on to anything of this world...including my life, so that You will be glorified through me. Own it: • Meet Helen Berhane of Sudan and hear about how she faced persecution: youtube.com/watch?v=WfdwcOTOJHc. • Check out the Secret Church resources on what persecution looks like today: radical. net/secretchurch/about/persecution.html. • Answer this question in your journal, “What are my challenges and opportunities right now to put God’s glory first in my life?” Day 4: Move towards the mess Read it: Mark 5:1-20 Know it: Mark tells about the time when Jesus cast out a legion of demons from a man into some pigs. (Should’ve been cats, #kiddingnotkidding!) This guy was a mess! He was possessed by numerous demons, was cutting and maiming himself, and lived in the tombs (which made him ceremonially unclean and socially outcast). When he saw Jesus coming, perhaps he had a moment of sanity because he ran and fell before Him. The demons knew exactly who Jesus was and what He was capable of doing. They understood Jesus was the Son of God and that He came to glorify the Father and would do anything to make that happen. They knew His power. They knew His mission. They knew they could not beat Him. They knew that Jesus is Lord! They were totally subject to His authority, and after being cast into the pigs, they cliff-jumped and drowned the herd. Do you believe as much as the demons, that Jesus is unstoppable and Lord of all? When we who follow Jesus know and believe this, we become an unstoppable force for God. Then we understand we are here to accomplish His mission that will bring about His glory. So what does that lead us to do? Move toward the mess. Wait, what? Were you expecting something like “go and rattle the gates of hell?” Or make disciples of all nations? Well yes, that’s part of it. However, we are usually all about those things until we get to someone or something that is messy. This guy that Jesus healed was dirty. We don’t know how long he had been chained up, when he had bathed last, when he shaved last, or how long since he had a change of clothes last (well actually he was naked until he was healed – see verse 15, #nopantsontheground). We can imagine how dangerous he was in that people had tried to keep him chained up. We also can guess that he was quite powerful in that he kept breaking free. All this, and yet Jesus let the demon-possessed man come right up to Him. In fact, it’s likely that Jesus came on the boat, through a storm, and over six miles of water just to get to this man. “ Jesus had a way of heading toward needs that everyone else ignored or avoided. ” As amazing as this all was, the people of the town were so angry at Jesus and distracted by the pigs dying that they made Jesus leave. The truth is that we are all messy people who need Jesus.You will soon encounter people who are a mess (if you haven’t already). Maybe it is their outward physical appearance, maybe it is their nasty attitude toward you, maybe it is the area they live in, maybe it is the fact that they are different from you, maybe they need healing, maybe they are socially awkward, maybe they are homeless, maybe they have never had anyone love them before, or maybe they are just annoying. Just as Jesus was generous with His unlimited, transformative grace, we need to be, also. We need to remember that, through the blood of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for us, we were transformed and shown amazing grace just like the demon-possessed man. Shouldn’t we move toward the mess and show that anyone can receive that same grace as well? Jesus went to amazing lengths to rescue this messy guy, and even greater lengths to rescue a totally messed-up humanity. What will you do to reach people for His glory? Pray it: Lord, forgive me for sometimes desiring my own needs instead of wanting to reach the “messy” people of this world. Help me to see them the same way as You see everyone else…as Your reflection. Remove those sinful feelings and replace them by helping me remember how You have transformed my life through Your grace…for Your glory. Own it: • Is there someone in your life you are tempted to avoid because he or she is needy, or bothersome, or hard to accept? Is this a person God might want you to serve? (Note: this is not a challenge to put yourself in harm’s way or to return to a scene of abuse.) • Practice sharing the gospel with five people you know, without using any notes. • Check out a local ministry to the homeless and make plans to serve there in some way. 69 Day 5: Become a disciplemaker Read it: Matthew 28:18-20 Know it: This section of God’s Word is known as “The Great Commission” because it is the last command given by Christ on earth after He rose from the dead. His charge was to go and make disciples of all nations. This is the command believers across the world seek to accomplish until Jesus comes back. This is the ultimate way God will receive glory, when we abandon all so that we can go and make disciples. Through Jesus’ authority we are sent out to show people how they can be restored to God.This is what making disciples is all about. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” This involves the decision of a person to give his or her life to Christ and make Him Lord.This decision often takes time…and energy… and patience. God is the one who saves, not us, so you can focus what you can do to be obedient.You cannot force someone to receive God’s amazing grace, the same that transformed you, but you can proclaim the love of God to others. As 1 John 4:9 tells us: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” You can engage in gospel conversations in many different ways, such as through “gospel appointments” (see the “Own it” section for resource on this), buying someone a meal, going on a mission trip, investing in the life of an immigrant, and listening to someone who is hurting. But remember to do these things with and through God’s Spirit; only He can cause someone to believe.Your task is share the same love from God that you have received. When you get to see people receive Christ, remember the call to baptize them “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (v. 19). This is their first step in identifying with Christ and the people of God. An important but sometimes neglected next step in Christ’s commission is to teach people “to observe all that I have commanded you.” We do not truly glorify God if all we do is try and get someone saved and baptized. We are commanded to make disciples, not converts. To glorify the Lord and fulfill His commission you must walk with someone after they become a 70 follower of Christ.That means teaching them to read and understand the Bible, getting them involved with a community of believers, and helping them to start serving and teaching them to share their faith. All of this takes time.Too often, because this is so hard, the ball gets dropped here. It’s easy to get excited when someone becomes a believer, but real work to continue on in the faith journey with them. It’s no wonder that it doesn’t take long for some converts to fall back into worldliness and never make it to that place of following Christ with their whole heart.Take to heart the challenge to really disciple others. Someday the work of reaching and discipling the nations will be done and Christ will come back and God will receive the ultimate glory! Listen to what Matthew 24:14 says: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” For now it is upon us to focus our lives on making disciples as the most important thing we can do. And if we make disciples who then can make disciples, the gospel is guaranteed to spread all the more. Yes, eagerly seek for people to come to Christ and be converted, but also learn to disciple them and teach them to do the same. Then watch the results multiply. So now that you have finished these devotions, are you ready to abandon all for God? Pray it: Lord, I want to glorify Your name. Help me see Your glory shine through me and through everyone around me as we all invest in others to make disciples. Help me become selfless so that more will hear the gospel. Own it: • You can disciple someone. Check out the free resources for making disciples from Francis Chan and David Platt here: multiplymovement.com/material. • Start praying about whom God would have you disciple. • Read more about “Gospel Appointments” here: collegiatecollective.com/ gospel-appointments-part-2/#. VducXxzD9D8 71 WORSHIP RESOURCES WORSHIP ON MISSION The following material is intended to help you plan and conduct worship in conjunction with student missions service overseas. As an alternative, this material can be used to plan worship experiences related to a mission training or awareness event, such as a DiscipleNow retreat or missions conference. If you are conducting your own group mission project, we recommend that you use these plans to lead daily worship services with your students as they serve at the project. The point is not to reduce the focus on ministry, but to enhance it. Students need the chance to debrief daily on what they are experiencing on mission. There will be things to celebrate each day, as well lessons to learn and challenges to face with prayer. Whether it will be a launch point to start the day or a culmination of the day’s ministry, we urge you to see worship at the project as a vital component. If you will be using these worship plans as part of a missions emphasis or retreat, we encourage you to couple them with sending opportunities.Why challenge students to worship the God of mission and not provide them with tangible opportunities to respond? Please visit imbstudents.org for opportunities, or contact us at [email protected]. As you prepare to lead worship in missions, consider the following: • Bring your own creativity and customization. What unique opportunities does your situation offer? Can you engage directly with missionaries and their stories? Can you integrate relevant testimonies and stories into the service? • Make missional worship more than a sermon and a band. These worship experiences are intentionally designed to be interactive and participatory. Don’t ignore this and simply go with the old tried-andtrue songs and a long sermon. Preach, yes, but also engage! 72 • Prayer is too often the missing element of worship, which is ironic when those on the front lines of mission repeatedly say it is the most essential. The guided prayer experience provided here is a step in the right direction, but seek additional ways to engage your students in prayer. • If at a mission project, treat worship as an extension of the day’s experiences, not as something separate. Consider worship to be a continuous experience throughout the day, as well as a focused expression when the group comes together. Make sure the two relate. THEME The idea of “abandon” can be summed up in a short parable spoken by Jesus: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).18 Jesus is saying here that in order to enter the kingdom, it’s going to take everything you’ve got. The man in the story didn’t hold onto any former aspect of his life: “he goes and sells all that he has.” He abandoned it all. And this is exactly what Jesus asks from us. We are to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind: all and nothing less. “One thing you lack,” He said to the rich young ruler. “Go and sell all you possess and give to the poor” (Mark 10:21). “Let the dead bury their own dead,” He said to another man who wanted to bury his father (see Luke 9:60). With Jesus, it’s all…or it’s nothing. Does this sound difficult? Actually it’s not difficult—it’s impossible. So how do we do it? How do we give up everything for Him? Have you tried before? I have and I’ve failed miserably. I’ve re-committed and re-dedicated myself to Him so many times and come up short. So how do we abandon? The answer is in the other half of the parable. We need to ask, why did the man give up everything? What enabled him? What was the cause? The only thing more costly than following Jesus is not following Jesus. The truth is, all of us “abandon” ourselves to something or someone. The question is to what, or to whom. As Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” About the author Matt Papa is a recording artist, songwriter, worship leader, and author based out of Atlanta, Georgia. He is husband of seven years to Lauren, and father to three girls – Paisley, Stella, Sofi, and a new little boy named Jackson. Matt’s service to Christ through song, preaching, writing, and mentoring is conducted with a heart that longs to see people from every corner of the world set ablaze by the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. To that end he has written his first book titled, “Look & Live.” This manuscript, as well as his latest full-length studio album, also titled, “Look & Live,” is a loud and liberating call to people everywhere to break the chains of idolatry and boredom by beholding the glory of God in the face of Christ. With a true gift for bringing lofty spiritual truths right down to even a child’s level, Papa is the layman’s theologian. His voice is strong and his message clear—look to Jesus and live. Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures quoted in this section are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). 18 The answer is joy. Simply put, the man found something better than his old life, something more precious, more valuable, even more “happifying,” to use Jonathan Edward’s terminology. It was precisely this that gave him the power to leave everything else behind. That’s what we need: real power. There is no obligation here. There is no melancholic “well, I guess so” kind of resignation to this new life. No cold religion here. Here is pure joy. Here is someone saying, “It was the best decision I’ve ever made!” This is where we must start with the idea of “abandon,” that is, with the treasure. Certainly we should count the costs and consider all we leave behind to follow Jesus. These are real losses and costs, but the power to change is not in the sacrifice. To think only about the costs is likely to lead to pride that won’t bring lasting change. The real power is when we realize that any sacrifices we make for the kingdom are like trading a penny for an untold fortune. We get God, and everything else, and this is the glory of the gospel. But first, we have to abandon. 73 OVERVIEW OF TOPICS The following services are adaptable according to your group’s needs. Each includes Scriptures, an overview, an outline for a teaching time, a message, and suggestions for musical worship that coincide with the theme. Topic 1: Abandon control Scripture: Exodus 3:1-12 Control is something we think we have, but until the illusion of control disappears, we are unlikely to become people of prayer. God calls us to joyfully depend on Him as Father, the One who actually IS in control of all things. God will lead us into impossibilities in order to help us stop building our own kingdoms of sand, and start enjoying the kingdom that is forever. Topic 2: Abandon comfort Scripture: Mark 15:22-24; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 There is a kind of comfort that is right and good; it is the comfort we seek in God and in His Word. There also is a kind of comfort that is dangerous for the soul. This kind of comfort runs to the world for cheer and reassurance, and will blind your eyes and dull your mind to the consolation available to you in Jesus. Topic 3: Abandon fear Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27 We all have fears, and our fears prevent us from living gladly in the service of others. We become self-absorbed, self-contained. But Jesus will lead us into danger at times, so we need to remember and acknowledge that we are not God, and that we need Him. Faith is not the absence of fear; it is the way we abandon fear for the glory and mission of God. Topic 4: Abandon shame Scripture: John 8:1-11 Shame and guilt seem like old-fashioned concepts, but they are as real in our postmodern times as much as they were in the past. The truth is that very few of us have escaped shameful experiences and the presence of the associated painful memories. Shame is a prison that keeps us from freedom and certainly from living life on mission with God. The gospel alone can lead us through the healing process of godly sorrow, repentance and forgiveness to find joy and peace on the other side. 74 Topic 5: Abandon apathy Scripture: Romans 12:1-2; Revelation 3:15-16 A problem when the subject of apathy and Christians comes up is that many people start to brace themselves for a lecture about how they haven’t served Jesus enough or witnessed enough or done more for Him lately. There is a place in the world for motivational speeches and in-your-face challenges, but fundamentally, abandoning apathy is not about greater activity, but greater vision. It’s not about sweat but about sight. When we truly grasp the gospel, letting it work in our minds and hearts, apathy will not be an option for us. Topic 6: Abandon fame Scripture: Matthew 3:16-17 Fame and approval are things the human heart desperately craves and we want and need to be validated and respected. Our search for approval goes amiss when we center it on people and use them to build our own resume. There is a validation that outweighs anything the world can provide. The gospel points us to the love of God that eliminates our need to try to “gain the world” and lose our soul in the process. We can be free to serve and win the world unselfishly because we already have the only approval that really matters. Guided prayer experience Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8 In prayer we have the opportunity to engage with the gospel on a heart level and not simply on an intellectual one. This service will offer four primary “movements” to the gospel: God, sin, Christ, response. Make sure the participants are prepared to be open and vulnerable with God and with one another. SERVICE 1: ABANDON CONTROL Scripture: Exodus 3:1-12 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). Objective: To lead participants to embrace God’s sovereignty and trust His leading for life. Summary: Control is something we think we have, but until the illusion of control disappears, we are unlikely to become people of prayer. God calls us to joyfully depend on Him as Father, the One who actually IS in control of all things. God will lead us into impossibilities in order to help us stop building our own kingdoms of sand, and start enjoying the kingdom that is forever. Message outline: A. Introduction 1. Definition of control 2. The natural desire to be in control of your life 3. Psalm 115:3 and Proverbs 16:9—reference points for God’s sovereign control 4. Exodus 3:2, 4-6 B. B ody 1. Abandoning control requires an encounter with and surrender to God. a. Moses’ encounter with God. b. God’s Presence manifested and the person surrendered. c.You can abandon control of your life when you see God’s glory. d. How is your desire for control hindering you from serving God? 2. Abandoning control means trusting that God will accomplish His purposes. a. God set the stage. Moses needed to play his part. C. Conclusion 1. God doesn’t prioritize our ability, but our availability. 2. God is in control; step out in faith and obedience. Suggestions for musical worship: • “Our God” (Tomlin/Reeves/Myrin/Redman) • “Jesus Only Jesus” (Redman) • “It Is Finished” (Papa) • “Before The Throne” (Cook and Cook) • “Sovereign Over Us” (Keyes) • “Open Hands” (Papa) Suggestions for other worship elements: • S cripture reading and meditation: Isaiah 46:8-10. Assemble participants in groups of three. Read the passage and as a meditation, ask participants to discuss the areas in their lives where they have had a difficult time trusting God and to encourage one another to trust Him. Message: Introduction We crave control. Our natural bent is,“I want what I want, when I want it, and how I want it.” Mission trips invariably press us into circumstances that are completely out of our control, and may make us feel a little bit crazy. A definition of control is:“to direct the behavior of (a person or animal); to cause (a person or animal) to do what you want; to have power over (something).”19 And isn’t that us? Are we not abounding with the desire to direct people to do what we want them to do and to direct life circumstances to be what we want them to be? Think of the irony.We creatures, crafted in the image of God and dependent on Him for our every breath, when left to ourselves seek to live as if we are the ones in control. How conveniently we forget truths like,“Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases,” and “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps” (Psalm 115:3, Proverbs 16:9).We strive to be in absolute control. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ control 19 75 As you step out to be on mission with Jesus someplace in the world, you may have a keen sense of your desire for control. Maybe the weather is hot and you prefer cold; maybe you’re eating rice and beans when all you want is a burger with fries. Maybe you had to get up before daybreak to take a cold shower, and neither one of those things is appealing to you at all.These are trivial things, nonetheless they can reveal hidden idols in your heart. Let’s turn to the Scriptures and encounter a man who, like us, undoubtedly felt like things were very much out of his control when he said “yes” to join God’s mission. comforts like cell phones and gaming systems, flat irons and designer jeans.We will get tired and be ready to quit. We will get dirty and want to go back to a neat, tidy life. (Read Exodus 3:2, 4-6.) God said to Moses:“Come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt...I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that [Pharaoh] will let you go” (Exodus 3:10, 20).With God’s control came an amazing assignment: to lead God’s people out of slavery.The choice before Moses was to surrender control and trust in the leading of God. 1. Abandoning control requires an encounter with and surrender to God. Moses’ job was not glamorous, and yours probably isn’t either. Moses labored in the hot sun managing dumb sheep that didn’t even belong to him, but to his father-in-law. His duties were to keep them from jumping off cliffs, wandering aimlessly from the flock, and starving to death. Perhaps you can identify with this, especially if the mission task set before you doesn’t seem to be all that world-changing. Moses had already faced control issues. On his own in Egypt, he had tried to rescue his people, Israel. The result was he lost control of his life and had to flee to the desert.Years of exile didn’t seem to improve his condition. Moses’ efforts to manage things on his own was a descent from the palace to the pits. One day in the midst of the boring, almost mindless monotony of shepherding, Moses encountered the most marvelous revelation beyond his wildest dreams–the manifest Presence of God. In undeniable power, God met him right where he was, even as he was faithfully going about his not-so-exciting duties. That same encounter is available to you today, regardless of your circumstances and the tasks before you. God will meet you even in the mundane. Do you remember Moses’ response when God revealed Himself? The Scriptures tell us that he “hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” (Exodus 3:6).The Presence manifested and the person surrendered. Glory was revealed and Moses bowed under its weight. In missions, seeking to complete the task in human strength is weak. It is weak because without a vision of God, you and I cannot stand up under the pressures we will face. It will be too hard, too uncomfortable, and too discouraging.We will likely not have many of our creature 76 Today your greatest need is to see God.You need to feel the weight of His presence and bow down. Into the out-of-control you must carry with you the knowledge that He is in control.The One who scattered the stars in the sky is with you as you go into all the world with the good news that Jesus is Lord.You will be able to abandon control of your life when you see the glory of the One who made you and yield, as Moses did, to Him. What circumstances do you wish you could control today? What would you change if you could, and how can you give that to God instead of trying to fix it? How is your desire for control hindering you from serving Him and the people around you with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? 2. Abandoning control means trusting that God will accomplish His purposes. Moses received his mission from God: go and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt. God reiterated that Pharaoh would let them go, but Moses had all sorts of doubts: “I can’t do this job – I’m a nobody! They won’t believe you spoke to me. What am I supposed to say when they ask me who You are? I’m not good at public speeches.” The Lord spoke to his concerns and said, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (Exodus 4:11-12). God had a plan for Moses. El Roi, the God Who Sees, could see exactly how He would accomplish this plan, exactly how it would come to fruition. The thing God had called Moses to do was far greater than Moses’ abilities. This was a mission that would impact eternity, a mission that was yet one more step toward God’s plan of redemption, the birth of Christ. God was setting the stage. Moses needed to play his part. Maybe you got up this morning thinking that your mission assignment is more than you bargained for; maybe you’re feeling like you aren’t cut out for this kind of work. Today you can stake your claim to Exodus 4:11-12.You can do this because God made you and He will be with you. The Spirit of God lives inside you reminding you of Truth and will teach you how to handle every situation you feel is too hard.You have made yourself available. Now God will make you able! Like He did with Moses, God is asking you to play your part. Conclusion God doesn’t prioritize our ability, but our availability. The Almighty calls both the intellectual and simple-minded, the rich and poor to participate with Him in accomplishing His purposes in the world. Not only does He call, but He also equips. “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will” (Hebrews 13:20, 21). It’s possible that as you engage with God on mission, you feel inadequate, unprepared. Good! For “such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:4-5). Over and over, the Lord said to Moses, “I will accomplish this.” And in spite of Moses’ doubts, fears, and lack of eloquence, God did deliver His people from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh. To Moses the circumstances felt out of control; but God was in control the entire time. And so it is for you. Stepping out in faith and obeying God in what He has asked you to do will almost certainly dredge up doubt and feelings of inadequacy, but staying the course and completing the task in front of you also is the place where you will–if you are willing–find the deepest sense of rest and joy and peace, because you have put your trust wholly in God Almighty. 77 SERVICE 2: ABANDON COMFORT Scripture: Mark 15:22-24; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 “They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it” (Mark 15:23). Objective: To help participants recognize the falseness of worldly comforts and seek the true comfort of God and the glory of God. Summary: There is a kind of comfort that is right and good; it is the comfort we seek in God and in His Word. There also is a kind of comfort that is dangerous for the soul. This kind of comfort runs to the world for cheer and reassurance, and will blind your eyes and dull your mind to the consolation available to you in Jesus. Message outline: A. Introduction 1. The definition of comfort; examples 2. Mark 15:22-24 3. Spurgeon quote: “...if I can honour thee more by suffering, and if the loss of my earthly all will bring thee glory, then so let it be.” 4. The significance of myrrh in the Old Testament and how it relates to Christ B. B ody 1. Look to Jesus a. Current circumstances and things that make us feel uncomfortable b. The crucifixion story and Christ’s suffering c. How our current situation compares to Christ’s agony d. Christ as the needed perspective to face difficult situations 2. Long for Jesus a. Being outside of our comfort zone b. Psalms 84:2 and 42:1 c. Do you long for Christ this way? 78 3. Trust in Jesus a. How do you respond when you feel vulnerable and exposed? b. C.S. Lewis quote—God takes away false happiness c. Can you thank God for making your circumstances “less agreeable?” 4. H omeless with Jesus a. Matthew 8:20 and Philippians 2 b. Entitlement in our culture c. What does a Christ-like heart of homelessness look like? 5. The comfort of Jesus a. Augustine quote: “God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full...” b. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 c. Denying yourself comfort is for the sake of others C. Conclusion: Follow Jesus 1. D ying to self leads to mission. 2. P hilippians 3:8 3. The nations are waiting Suggestions for musical worship: • “ How Rich A Treasure” (Papa and Boswell) • “ Great Is Thy Faithfulness” • “ You Said” (Shane and Shane) • “ The Reward of His Suffering” (Papa) Message: Introduction What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about comfort? Is it a certain food or a favorite place? When you were younger you might have sucked your thumb or had a blanket you simply couldn’t sleep without. It is the disposition of humans to find ways to bring ourselves comfort.When we face people and circumstances that take us out of our “comfort zone,” it is good to consider if our comfort is worthy or worldly. (Read Mark 15:22-24.) Verse 23 in this chapter may not seem that notable and in fact, it’s one that is likely skimmed over when reading about the Crucifixion. By this point in the story, Jesus had appeared before Pilate and the crowds had given him over to be treated as a murderer.The death sentence was pronounced and He had been mocked, beaten, and spat upon. His body was so broken that He could barely stand beneath the weight of the rough-hewn beam placed upon His back that would soon be drenched in His life blood.As the group of soldiers and spectators gathered at Golgotha, someone offered Jesus a cup of wine mixed with myrrh. He turned it away. You might recognize myrrh from the biblical story of Christ’s birth:“Then opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). Frankincense and myrrh are essential oils whose usage for incense and medicine dates back millennia. In ancient Egypt it was used for embalming, and commonly symbolizes death.Additionally, myrrh was useful as an analgesic/anesthetic–to reduce pain or make insensitive to pain. All this is important because we need to see what Jesus was refusing. Jesus pushed the cup away not because He wasn’t thirsty but because He was denying Himself an earthly comfort that would diminish or hinder His complete submission to the Father. In perhaps their one act of mercy, the soldiers extended to him the opportunity to lessen the suffering of an agonizing death on the cross. Here is a beautiful insight that 19th-century theologian Charles Spurgeon offers: “A golden truth is couched in the fact that the Saviour put the myrrhed wine-cup from his lips. On the heights of heaven the Son of God stood of old, and as he looked down upon our globe he measured the long descent to the utmost depths of human misery; he cast up the sum total of all the agonies which expiation would require, and abated not a jot. He solemnly determined that to offer a sufficient atoning sacrifice he must go the whole way, from the highest to the lowest, from the throne of highest glory to the cross of deepest woe.This myrrhed cup, with its soporific influence, would have stayed him within a little of the utmost limit of misery, therefore he refused it. He would not stop short of all he had undertaken to suffer for his people. Ah, how many of us have pined after reliefs to our grief which would have been injurious to us!…. Oh, it is sweet to be able to say,‘My Lord, if for other reasons I need not suffer, yet if I can honour thee more by suffering, and if the loss of my earthly all will bring thee glory, then so let it be. I refuse the comfort, if it comes in the way of thine honour.’ O that we thus walked more in the footsteps of our Lord, cheerfully enduring trial for his sake, promptly and willingly putting away the thought of self and comfort when it would interfere with our finishing the work which he has given us to do. Great grace is needed, but great grace is provided.”20 Oh how often we yearn for creature comforts more than the glory of God! 1. Look to Jesus Wherever you are in the mission, it’s just a matter of time before you will encounter difficulty that will make you want to run back home. It might be a place of suffering, poverty, and filth, or it could be strangeness in a culture that makes you uncomfortable. As a believer in Jesus, you have an alternative to giving up or running away. As the servant of Jesus, look to the Suffering Servant who has gone before you and see how to suffer well. In His darkest, most painful moments, He did not shrink back. See Him in your mind’s eye agonizing over the pain of His flesh being ripped apart. See Him lift His swollen eyes, barely able to make out the image of a small cup of relief offered Him by His persecutors. See Him slowly shake His head and turn away, not willing to give Himself a shred of comfort, all for the sake of your soul. Is there anything you want more than to be the willing servant of the One who spared nothing to save your soul? If there is, child of God, repent. Look to Him and turn from lesser things to be fully satisfied in the One who spared nothing to save your soul. 2. Long for Jesus What do you long for today? Is it your favorite food or TV? Would a little more access to your phone and social media make you “feel good” again? Can you honor Christ even if these and other comforts are taken away? Take a few moments to think about what you truly long for, what is the desire of your soul. Often times I have to confess to the Lord that while I truly want Him, His glory, and the fame of His Name, my flesh is getting in the way of that. I pray, “Lord! Teach me to say with the psalmist, ‘My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD’ (Psalm 84:2, ESV), and to cry out, ‘As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God’ (Psalm 42:1, NLT).” 3. Trust in Jesus The loss of comforts in our life tends to expose what we really trust and depend on. It is one thing to trust Jesus in the good times when your needs and wants are covered, but another thing altogether when all your comforts have seemingly been stripped away. It is hard to trust when you feel vulnerable and exposed; and being outside your comfort zone will certainly make you feel that way. C.S. Lewis says, “While what we call ‘our own life’ remains agreeable we will not surrender it to Him. What then can God do in our interests but make ‘our own life’ less agreeable to 20 C . H. Spurgeon, Morning & Evening Devotions, Aug. 18. 79 us, and take away the plausible source of false happiness?”21 Does life feel “less agreeable” today? Embrace that. Receive it as a gift knowing that God is graciously removing what you think makes you happy so that you can find true happiness in Him. 4. Homeless with Jesus Scripture teaches us that Jesus had “no place even to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20, NIV). Think about that. In heaven, all the riches and glories and honor beyond our wildest imaginings were His without dispute. Here on earth, Jesus was a wanderer who often didn’t even have a bed to sleep in. The God of Psalm 50 who owns the cattle on a thousand hills surrendered His rights to become the humble Suffering Servant of Philippians 2 and considered our interests and our eternal souls before His own comfort. Jesus had no entitlement. We in our opulent culture, however, suffer from a severe case of entitlement. We need not go live on the streets in order to be like Jesus, but we quite often should demand far less than we do. We should make comfort less of a goal and consider more a heart of homelessness. A mindset that we deserve nothing would go a long way in helping us be more like our homeless God. 5. The comfort of Jesus Augustine said, “God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full – there’s nowhere for Him to put it.”22 What are we grasping that keeps us from receiving something better from God? Let’s get some further perspective from Scripture. (Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-7.) When we are afflicted, it is not for the sake of being afflicted, it is for the sake of being able to comfort others who also are in affliction with the comfort we have experienced through God. It is for the sake of displaying the glory of God to others who suffer. It is for the sake of being one with Christ. Whatever comfort you take in the things of this world, it is a small, pale shadow compared to what “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” can provide (2 Corinthians 1:3). And we know this because the King of kings and the Lord of lords was fully satisfied in the comfort the Father supplied. He still suffered. He still bled. He still died. Great grace was needed and great grace was provided. To state Augustine’s observation a different way, when you open your hands and release the things you think you need to be happy, God can finally fill them with what He knows will make you eternally satisfied. 80 Conclusion: Follow Jesus So you crucify your comfort…then what? To what does that lead? Masochism? Hurting for the sake of hurting? Of course not. Dying to self–to comfort– leads to mission. It leads to sacrifice and giving and service and sanctified work. In mission movements of old, there was no such thing as a “short-term mission trip.” There were no cars, no planes. Trains didn’t even exist until 1804. Missionaries counted the cost, boarded a ship, and set off expecting that they would face death, whether by disease or hostility, and never see their families again. The comforts afforded them by safe, pretty lives did not compare with the riches of knowing Christ. They said with Paul, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8, NIV). Hear this today as a clarion call: Follow Jesus to the ends of the earth and don’t look back. He has gone before you. He is with you now. He will sustain you through anything that is to come. The nations are waiting for brave souls like you to decide that Truth is more valuable than designer jeans. Preaching the gospel through hard-earned, time-consuming relationship is more important than scrolling through Facebook or Instagram or Twitter. They are waiting, in darkness without the light of Christ, for someone to surrender what is comfortable and familiar to tell them the greatest story in the whole world, the story of Jesus. C . S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2004), p. 94. 22 In C. S. Lewis, The Joyful Christian (New York, NY: McMillian, 1977), p. 210. 21 SERVICE 3: ABANDON FEAR Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27 “’He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm” (Matthew 8:26). Objective: To help participants understand that there is no better place to be than following Jesus and being on mission with Him, even when it leads straight into trouble. Summary: We all have fears, and our fears can cause us to become self-absorbed and self-contained, preventing us from living gladly in the service of others. Jesus may lead us into difficult or perhaps even dangerous challenges, so we need to remember and acknowledge our total dependence on Him. Faith is not the absence of fear, but the ability to abandon fear for the glory and mission of God. Advance preparation: Note that this message begins with a dramatic re-telling of this passage from Matthew 8. It will be most effective if practiced and done with flourish, drama, lots of dynamics and significant pauses as appropriate. Message outline: A. Introduction 1. Dramatic retelling of Matthew 8:23-27 2. From the high of ministry into the low of a storm B. B ody 1. Abandoning fear requires trusting Jesus through the calm and through the storm a. Definition of fear b. Confident servants to terrified passengers c. Following Jesus can get us into difficult situations. 2. We can abandon fear because His presence is enough a. It’s easy to tell someone else that Jesus is enough. b. Jesus didn’t rebuke the disciples’ fear but their lack of faith. c. It is possible to be afraid and yet still move toward faith in Christ. 3. Abandoning fear means moving from fear of circumstances to trust in God a.Vincent McNabb quote: God helps us control our fears. b. Our circumstances should not become more real to us than Jesus. C. Conclusion 1. D ifficult and impossible situations give us greater opportunity to display the greatness of God Suggestions for musical worship: • “ Crown Him with Many Crowns” (Tomlin) • “ Lord I Need You” (Maher) • “ This I Believe” (The Creed) • “ Cornerstone” (Hillsong) • “ In Christ Alone” (Liesching and Moore) • “ Never Once” (Redman) Suggestions for other worship elements: • P rayer time Break up into groups of four to five. Share together and pray over two things: -H ow has God “been there” for you in the past? How has he been faithful to you in difficult seasons and moments? Share these, then thank God. - Where are places in your life where you are currently afraid? Where do you feel weak, doubtful? Confess these, then ask God for the faith to believe that He is good, and He will do whatever is good. •R esponsive reading Read Psalm 136 and lead the participants to say together, “His love endures forever” as the refrain in each verse. Message: Introduction: A paraphrase of Matthew 8 It had been a long day.As they looked around the crowd, desperate, searching eyes met their own.There simply weren’t enough hours in the day.The dusty afternoon faded to evening as even more wounded and weary souls poured into the outskirts of the village like storm clouds gathering to release their fury on the parched land.All were trying to reach Him. 81 Finally. Finally, He began to move away. Desperate to escape the pushing and shoving, the smell, the need, the ache...they followed Him to the shore.The boat was a welcome sight.An escape, yes, but also a tender comfort; a reminder of the life they once knew. Eagerly they climbed aboard and pushed away from the shore.The gentle sound of the water against the oars was like a sweet lullaby. Sleep came even before the shoreline, and all the neediness staring at them from it, had a chance to recede from view. important! You are in the thick of ministry! What happens, though, when you find yourself becoming just like that desperate mob of people? What happens when you are the needy one, trying to make sense of pain, suffering, and sickness? You are the one who needs healing and Jesus doesn’t seem to notice and make any move to help.What is your response when the waters are up to your neck and things look terrible? Cold. Piercing.Wet. A storm had settled in. Suddenly all of them were awake and frantically reaching for anything that could hold water. Well, almost all of them. 1. Abandoning fear requires trusting Jesus through the calm and through the storm. As a noun, fear is defined as “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.”23 We all have seasons where it’s easy to trust Jesus. Maybe, like the disciples, we are serving and blessing others, helping to usher the needy and broken into Jesus’ presence. Perhaps that’s even why you chose to participate in this project.You wanted to bring people to Jesus. This is a season to be cherished and enjoyed. The water ran wild as it breached the sides of the little boat.Their sandals slickened and their garments became heavier and heavier, like weights trying to pull them down to the bottom of the sea. Furtive glances, searching hands. With this blinding rain and the tossing waves, they clung to each other and counted heads.Where was He? Someone shouted,“Here He is!” Wait. Is He asleep? With every ounce of strength they held to the boat as they groped their way toward Him; surely He knows they’re drowning; surely He can help.“Wake up! Save us! We’re dying–can’t you see? Are you going to let us drown?” They screamed in terror-filled voices. His piercing eyes open slowly.Their faithless souls were exposed instantaneously. His voice, calm and firm and even, rose effortlessly above the fury of the storm, “You’re afraid, why? Am I not here in the boat with you? Your faith is small.” With one swift motion He rose to his feet and rebuked the storm as He had just rebuked them. Before they could blink, the storm they thought was about to kill them vanished into thin air.The seas were still and glassy. Stumbling backward and sinking down under the weight of their wet clothes, they looked up at Him–the perfect picture of peace–and then at each other and whispered, as the crowds had hours before,“Who is this man?” One Bible version gives labels this passage from Matthew 8 as “Discipleship tested.” It is what happens when you go from serving people in need to becoming in desperate need yourself. It is easy to feel special when you are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jesus, serving people, meeting needs, and addressing a needy crowd. It may leave you tired, weary, and overwhelmed, yes, but you’re doing something 82 Let’s learn from this story how we can abandon fear. For the disciples, it was mere hours between being confident servants and becoming terrified victims. The day had been filled with major victories of healing and deliverance. When they left the shore that evening, it’s probable that they had mixed feelings about leaving hurting people behind, but of course they gladly chose to obey Jesus’ orders to “depart to the other side of the sea” (Matthew 8:18). Everything looked to be under control wherever Jesus went. The fear came when the good times dissipated into a storm in what seemed to be the worst possible place, the middle of the Sea of Galilee. That was absolutely not where they wanted to be. That’s us, isn’t it? We are happy to follow Jesus and put our “Yes, Lord!” on the table. Then, as the storm rises, doubts and fears begin to trickle in. “Was I supposed to do this?” The waters overtake the boat. “Did I really hear God’s voice?” Our little dinghy begins to sink. “Hello? Are you there God? Can you not see that I’m dying here?” Like the disciples we must learn (typically the hard way) that following Jesus is likely going to get us into some situations where we feel like we won’t survive. Jesus calls us to trust Him through the calm, when we think we’re fine, as well as through the calamity, when it feels like disaster is our sure end. 23 h ttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fear 2. We can abandon fear because His presence is enough. As the crowds came in for healing, the disciples could have said, “All you need is Jesus! Just a moment in His presence can heal whatever your wounds may be!” It’s easy to tell someone else that Jesus is enough. The challenge comes when we have to apply that truth to ourselves and live what we teach. It is paramount to preach the Truth to the world, but as Martin Luther once said, we must also preach the gospel to ourselves every single day. Note that in Matthew 8, Jesus didn’t rebuke the disciples’ fear, He rebuked their lack of faith. The disciples in the boat that day were presented with an opportunity to live out what they were surely preaching to the crowds.Yes, the storm was real and it was terrifying and it might just have killed them, but Jesus was with them! His very presence could have been their calm in the midst of the storm, but only if they had let it. It is possible to be afraid and yet have faith in Christ. It is possible to work through your fears and even overcome them in a way that actually pleases God! Let your fears point you to the One Who called you into the boat and allowed the storm to assail you. Let them drive you into the presence of God. Charles Spurgeon reportedly has said, “I have learned to kiss the wave that slams me into the Rock of Ages.” Believe with all your heart that Christ is in the boat with you and His presence is more than enough. LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid; what will man do to me?’” Conclusion When we live on mission with God, we should expect to find ourselves sometimes in overwhelming situations. Why else would Jesus leave us with these parting words: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”? (Matthew 28:1920, italics added). The missional charge is anchored with a magnificent promise: “I will be with you.” Our world seems to be increasingly opposed to Christ and His teachings. What greater opportunity to display the greatness of our God than in the face of danger and even hatred? We can know and show that He is in the boat with us. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). 24 Joseph DeMakis, The Ultimate Book of Quotations (Raleigh, NC: Lulu Enterprises, 2012) p. 201 3. Abandoning fear means moving from fear of circumstances to trust in God. Fear is not to remain in the driver’s seat of our lives. Vincent McNabb put it this way: “Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them.”24 Certainly it would be nice if we were never afraid, but often our circumstances become more real to us than Jesus. We have a God who knows our frame and makes provision for us, weak as we are. Scripture gives us a battle cry for those moments when fear assails us: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” (Psalm 27:1). The psalmist assumes that we will experience fear, but also teaches us to bring our fears into perspective and move from fear to trust in God. What can man do to me if God is on my side? Consider Hebrews 13:5-6: “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The 83 SERVICE 4: ABANDON SHAME Scripture: John 8:1-11 “Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more’” (John 8:1011). Objective: To help participants see that how the gospel offers the only real way to deal with guilt and shame and be freed to fulfill our highest purpose in serving God on mission. Summary: Shame and guilt seem like old-fashioned concepts, but they are as real in our postmodern times as much as they were in the past. The truth is that very few of us have escaped shameful experiences and the presence of the associated painful memories. Shame is a prison that keeps us from freedom and certainly from living life on mission with God. The gospel alone can lead us through the healing process of godly sorrow, repentance and forgiveness to find joy and peace on the other side. Advance preparation: Optional: Enlist persons who can share a testimony about being delivered from shame. As worship leader, be sure to hear these in advance to screen and adapt for appropriateness and discretion. Message outline: A. Intro: A scenario about shame. B. B ody 1. The life of no shame that leads to condemnation. 2. The wrong kind of shame that leads to paralysis. 3. The right kind of shame that leads to godly sorrow. 4. How Jesus responds to our shame. 5. Deal with your shame. C. Conclusion: As you go 1. The Word of God helps you fight the battle against shamefulness. 2.You can confidently share good news to others. Suggestions for musical worship: • “Great Are You Lord” (All Sons and Daughters) • “ Psalm 100” (Tomlin) • “ Lord I Need You” (Maher) • “ It Is Finished” (Matt Papa) • “ Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)” (Tomlin) • “ All Creatures of Our God and King” (Sovereign Grace) Suggestions for other worship elements: • Individual and Corporate Prayer Time: Dealing with shame is hard and it is personal. Take some time to confess and repent of sin before the Lord by yourself. Then, gather in small groups of three to four and pray over each other. Remember that you are bringing sin out of the darkness and into the Light.You don’t have to share intimate details with the group, but do pray over each other, that you would be able to walk in freedom and then lead others into the same. • Testimonies (see advance preparation): Share your story of how God delivered you from shame and sorrow or have a student share his/her story with the group. Message: Introduction: A scenario about shame Imagine for a moment that you are a wanted criminal. You live in Europe and have engaged in years of crimes of armed robbery and murder.The day comes when you are finally identified and all your evil comes to light. The police hunt you down but you flee into the woods. Somehow you escape and hide successfully for years, and then decide to come to America to start a new life. (Don’t think about all the legal hoops and complications, just go with the story!) Even in a new start on life, you are driven by guilt and get involved in a help group.The self-esteem classes tell you to believe in yourself: that you are a good person and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.You start to believe it and decide, “Hey, I really do have a new life!” You even get involved in a church.At church they tell you nearly the same thing—God is a God of grace.You don’t need to be ashamed of who you are. Just receive His love! And so you try.You really do, but something’s just not right. None of it is working.The old nagging guilt and 84 shame is still there. Haunting faces wake you up in the morning and sleep with you at night. No matter how many times you tell yourself,“I’m OK,” you know it’s not, and you know you’re not. Do you want to love big and love well? Then take a long hard look at yourself until you can say that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Timothy 1:15). The whole idea of “just forgive yourself” does not work because the old sins haven’t been dealt with.You need a higher court, a higher authority than yourself, to weigh in and either condemn you or forgive you.As it is, the shame lives on. 4. How Jesus responds to our shame Jesus showed mercy to the woman, but not without acknowledging her sin and need for forgiveness. Like her, we come to realize that all the wrongs in our lives can’t be swept under the rug and forgotten. We can even experience a sense of relief when the truth comes out and all our efforts at deception and cover-up are over. 1. No shame It may surprise you to learn that having no shame can be worse than being filled with shame. Shamelessness leads to condemnation. Notice the characters in this storywith Jesus. A womanwas caught in the very act of sexual sin and publicly humiliated. According to the law of Israel she could have been stoned to death. She was full of shame, yet she was the one who received the love and pardon of Christ. Now look at the others in the story, her accusers. These were men who only wanted to use her situation as a way to get at Jesus. They were not righteous but devious. It is likely that they even set up this situation with her so they could force Jesus into a bad choice to either condemn or condone. They were shameless and could only walk away from the Son of God, the only One who could forgive and restore. 2. The wrong kind of shame There is a wrong kind of shame that leads nowhere except to paralysis. Scott Sauls says it this way: “Shame––the terrifying sense something is deeply wrong with us–keeps us preoccupied with ourselves and inattentive to needs of other.”25 Because we are sinners we gravitate to this kind of self-focus and self-loathing. Can you see this in yourself? This kind of shame can even persist after your Judge has declared your sin forgiven and dealt with. Somehow the message of grace doesn’t work its way into your heart and life, and shame continues to haunt you and incapacitate you, eating away at your soul. 3. The right kind of shame The “right kind” of shame will drive you to abandon sin, and instead seek rest in the word that was declared over you at the cross: forgiven. “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). This is where we want our minds to camp out. It is right and good to feel the weight of our sin, because “he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47). Imagine all the things you’ve done wrong…and any wrongs that may have been done to you that make you feel shameful. Mentally list out as many as you can. Now, envision that list being nailed to the cross with Jesus. See His blood pour out and cover every single wrongdoing until the paper is so soaked you can’t read a thing that was written on it (Colossians 2:14). There is no free ride for sin. Jesus took your place and mine and allowed Himself to be stripped, spit on, taunted, rejected, and made nothing on the cross. The Spotless Lamb, the one who had nothing to be ashamed of, surrendered to ruthless, relentless shaming that led to our redemption and healing. He stripped shame of its power over us by canceling every record of wrong that stood against us. He went before the Judge and said, “There is no fault here, it has been taken care of.” Now that is amazing grace! 5. Deal with your shame The person we imagined earlier is more like us than we care to admit. Maybe you haven’t committed terrible crimes like murder, rape and destruction, but you’ve done enough to stand convicted of evil before God. When we stand before the Holy One, you and I won’t be comparing our sins but will fall on our faces. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking it all.” So what do we need to really let go of shame and believe what Jesus did is enough? We need a higher court and a verdict from a real Judge.We don’t have the authority to forgive ourselves.That would be like someone punching the Queen of England and coming to you for forgiveness or acquittal.We must have our sins dealt with by the One most affected by our sins. We have to go to God’s trial. 25 http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/shamethe-image-of-god-and-finding-freedom-to-love 85 Have you been trying to skip out on the trial? Have you been squirming hopelessly underneath the weight of the unresolved record of your pride, anger, envy, and lust? We have an amazing ability to hide these things, but such a life rings hollow. Maybe you feel paralyzed to do anything significant on this trip because all you can think about is your guilt and shame. Until you recognize the weight of your sin you will be unable to see your need for grace.You might seek for Jesus to help you with schoolwork, your parents, or a friend, but these will be Band-Aids compared to the real surgery you need. The point is this: the reason that many of us live in shame is because we haven’t been ashamed enough yet. God is holy, we are not, and we have intentionally and repeatedly sinned against Him. We should weep over how we have broken our Father’s heart. From this place of rightly placed shame we can come to the Judge. We stand before Him with no confidence of our own, no boasting, but to simply ask for mercy. For that moment, brothers and sisters, I have good news for you, because our Judge is One who loves to show mercy to those who know they need it! In fact, this is the prerequisite for grace: knowing that you need it. God opposes the proud, but runs to the humble. He kisses them (Luke 15), saves them (Psalm 36), and exalts them (James 4:10). So examine yourself. Are you paralyzed by shame? Do you live as if you just got caught with your hand in the proverbial cookie jar or do you live free? Scripture once again speaks to us where we are: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If you find yourself turning your sin over and over and over in your mind and thinking only of yourself and how big your mistakes are, this truth has not set you free yet. So preach to yourself today. As you go The mindset of shame doesn’t go away easily. The Bible is your weapon of warfare against all sin and temptation, so unsheathe your sword and start doing battle. Read the Bible every day and take notes on what you read. Choose a passage of Scripture that speaks to shame and reminds you of grace, such as Romans 8:1. Memorize key verses. When you equip yourself with the Word of God in your heart and mind, you can fight back when shame tries to take hold of you again. When you have dealt with your own shame, you are better able to meet the needs of others. Look into the eyes of the people to whom you minister. Are they happy and joyful, or are they broken and living in bondage? 86 This is where the sweeping, massive truths we have just considered hit the pavement of real life. As someone who recognizes the burden of shame and guilt and knows that Christ is the only One who can overcome it, you have good news! You who have been made free can now say with confidence to hurting, broken people that there is hope and His name is Jesus. SERVICE 5: ABANDON APATHY Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27 “Romans 12:1-2; Revelation 3:15-16 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Romans 12:1). “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Objective: To help participants recognize that apathy toward God and others should have no place in the person who has truly accepted and embraced the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ. Summary: A problem when the subject of apathy and Christians comes up is that many people start to brace themselves for a lecture about how they haven’t served Jesus enough or witnessed enough or done more for Him lately. There is a place in the world for motivational speeches and in-your-face challenges, but fundamentally, abandoning apathy is not about greater activity, but greater vision. It’s not about sweat but about sight. When we truly grasp the gospel, letting it work in our minds and hearts, apathy will not be an option for us. Message outline: A. Introduction 1. Oxymorons; Christian apathy 2. On mission for God, yet somehow still bored? B. B ody 1. Recognize apathy. a. What is it? b. Revelation 3:15-16 c. Apathy not normal d. What do you worship? 2. Reject apathy. a. Romans 12:1-2 b. With logic for the mind c. With magnificence for the heart C. Conclusion Open your eyes Suggestions for musical worship: • “ Your Grace Finds Me” (Redman) • “ Your Great Name” (Nordhoff and Neale) • “ Lead Me To the Cross” (Fraser) • “ O Fount Of Love” (Papa and Boswell) Suggestions for other worship elements: • S ticky note confessions: Set up a table with sticky notes and pens. On a poster or dry erase board on the wall, create two spaces to post notes. One should be titled, “What happens when I take my focus off Jesus?” and the other, “What happens when I focus on Jesus?” Prior to the service, invite participants to write and post notes with their answers. • Thirty second prayers: Arrange in advance for a number of participants to line up in front of the group and pray a brief prayer of their own based on Romans 12:1-2. Encourage them to read and meditate on the passage in advance to prepare. Message: Introduction: Oxymorons Have you heard of an oxymoron? It’s a figure of speech that is composed of two things that appear to be contradictory.Think of jumbo shrimp, act naturally, wicked good, living dead, and clearly confused. Got any personal favorites? How about airline food, serious fun, boneless ribs, head butt, private email, adult male, and safe fireworks? One of the ultimate oxymorons is “apathetic Christian.” Apathy and Christian faith are so contradictory to one another that even Jesus says that He will spit the lukewarm out of His mouth. How can anyone be uncaring who serves a King who bled and died for us? Unfortunately, most of us could admit that apathy too often looks back at us in the mirror every day.We aren’t as caring as we ought to be; we aren’t as sacrificial toward others as we should, and we aren’t as alive to the beauty in God’s world as we could be. Here’s the irony:We are here to be on mission with the great God of the universe, and we somehow can still be bored. 1. Recognize apathy. Let’s explore apathy for a moment. Quite simply, it is a lack of interest or concern, and it is fairly easy to self-diagnose. Are you going through the motions 87 or serving with joy? Are you focused on the task or daydreaming of life somewhere else? Are you self-forgetful in giving or self-absorbed in holding back? and you respond. The key is to wake up and open your eyes to that which is most worthy of your worship. And what you catch sight of today could affect someone else for eternity. (Read Revelation 3:15-16). Laodicea, one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation, had a bad case of apathy, being neither hot nor cold, and thus earned the rebuke of Jesus. This church did not have a long list of sins, like jealousy, lying, false teaching, and sexual immorality. Their guilt was simply a matter of attitude. So why was that such a big deal to Jesus? Apathy is not our normal state or design. In other words, we are all wired to care about something. Something in life will capture our attention and exhilarate us. It might be sports, relationships, video games, clothes, or image, but we all find something to which we freely offer up our time, our talents, and our money. It’s a rule of human nature that you will worship something, and if that thing is not God, it is better known as an idol. One way to figure out what you worship is to examine your affections. I have written elsewhere that our emotions are like smoke from the fire of the altar of whatever god we truly worship.27 Follow the smoke. So for instance, if you respond with anger and harshness to what someone said about you on Twitter, it’s likely because you love your image and it was threatened. Follow the smoke. If you bottom out with despair after not making the team or failing to make the grade, your well-being is tied up with success and accomplishment and applause. These are all smoke from the fire of worship. Apathy, then, is the leftovers (if any) of your mind’s attention and your heart’s affections. And it is why Jesus was so hard on the Laodiceans. Whatever you worship tends to suck the air out of the room for anything else that might want or deserve your attention. And again, here is where the irony is: what could be stranger and more unnatural than apathy toward God? As Pascal put it, “Man’s sensitivity to little things and insensitivity to the greatest things are marks of a strange disorder.”28 2. Reject apathy. Apathy is not something you can change by simply doing more religious deeds or trying to show more interest. To undo apathy you have to see that both worship and love are our responses, not your initiative. Something invites your attention and affection 88 (Read Romans 12:1-2.) There are two ways we can destroy apathy toward God and the things of God. Paul points us to an ongoing renewal of the mind, which involves both your thoughts and your affections. Logic for the mind The more we consider the Bible and the claims of Christianity, the more we can see how apathy is illogical. Jesus either rose from the dead or He didn’t. It is simple, yet earth-shattering logic. Every human being stands on one side of that statement or the other: Christian or atheist, Hindu or Muslim. Jesus is either God, or He’s not. The Bible offers only two choices with faith in God: all-in or nothing. As Elijah phrased it,“How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).This eliminates an entire category of religion that is sometimes called nominal or cultural Christianity. This kind of Christianity is simply a way to improve your life. It has been most prevalent in the “Bible Belt” of America which Flannery O’Connor called “the Christ-haunted South.” This is the religion that says if you are well-mannered and say you are a Christian, you can get more respect, better jobs, and even elected for political office. Sadly, it doesn’t require you to love Jesus at all, but only what He gets for you. Jesus does not tolerate nominal Christianity. He either rose from the dead or He didn’t, so what’s the point in serving Him halfway? You can’t simply “like” Jesus on Facebook. No one in the New Testament had a mild reaction to Him.As C.S. Lewis so brilliantly said,“You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.” 29 Confront apathy with the truth. Jesus is not a “nice guy” who is just your buddy. Jesus is God who is the only One worthy of your worship. M att Papa, Look and Live: Behold the Soul-Thrilling, Sin-Destroying Glory of Christ (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014). 28 B laise Pascal, Penseés. 29 C . S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1997), p. 52. 27 Magnificence for the heart I’ve traveled to quite a few countries in Europe. In every one, I make it a point to visit as many cathedrals as possible. I love walking through ancient doors and having my vision immediately swept upward by every piece of art that’s inside. Invariably, my emotions are affected, I’m overcome with a sense of wonder, and seemingly involuntarily breathe out a “Wow!” And that’s the whole point. Cathedrals were crafted carefully and filled with ornate, expensive, over-the-top art to draw both the physical and spiritual aspects of people upward.As your eyes lift to the ceiling, so your soul is lifted to the heavens.Your lips utter,“Amazing!” and your heart cries,“Holy.” need to take a break from your phone or stop gaming for a while.What you need to see is beauty, real Beauty, and love, the amazing mercy of Jesus. J. B. Phillips translated Romans 12:1 this way:“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him.” Apathy, which comes from idolatry, is the opposite of “intelligent worship.” If you believe that Jesus is Lord and did in fact conquer death and the grave, then reflect on whether that truth has really become the foundation of what you think. If Jesus truly is the Greatest Good and the most beautiful and glorious Person you could ever know, then consider if He is worthy of your highest affections. Creation is a lot like a cathedral, if you are willing to see it.There’s a lot to take in and all of it, every square inch of it, is pointing up—pointing to God. Because you are made in the image of God as an emotional being, your heart will respond to what you see. But are you seeing it? The psalmist wrote,“The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). Are you listening? You don’t walk through the Sistine Chapel with your eyes on the floor. No! You walk through with them glued to the ceiling; maybe you’ll love it or hate it, but either way you will have something to say about it.Are you walking through life and somehow not seeing Jesus? When you truly encounter Him, your heart will respond one way or the other, with either love or hate.You can behold His grace, His mercy, and His love. Life is full of scenes that show His brilliance, compassion, righteousness, and strength.Are you seeing this? As believers, we have the opportunity to walk through the cathedral of life and see all sorts of things that make us think about Jesus.When your eyes are opened to the wonders of the work Christ has done, it is absolutely impossible to remain unaffected. No one can say with integrity,“Jesus saved me!” and have zero emotional connection to it.When you understand the weight of your sin, the enormity of the debt that was paid, you will fall on your face before Jesus and exclaim,“Command me!” My wife has a little saying she teaches our girls,“See beauty, say beauty.” That’s the way it works; you see something beautiful and you can’t help but say it! Conclusion: Open your eyes If you are a Christian and you find yourself apathetic toward Jesus, it’s likely you are walking through the cathedral of life with your eyes on the floor. Maybe you 89 SERVICE 6: ABANDON FAME Scripture: Matthew 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:8-10 “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17). Objective: To lead participants to recognize that they are held in the highest regard by the highest Being in the universe and can be content to be a nobody in the service of Jesus. Summary: Fame and approval are things the human heart desperately craves and we want and need to be validated and respected. Our search for approval goes amiss when we center it on people and use them to build our own resume. There is a validation that outweighs anything the world can provide. The gospel points us to the love of God that eliminates our need to try to “gain the world” and lose our soul in the process. We can be free to serve and win the world unselfishly because we already have the only approval that really matters. Message outline: A. Introduction 1. Fame is very alluring. 2. Only one name will be echoing through the halls of heaven–the name of Jesus. B. B ody 1. Share Matthew 3:16-17. 2. W ork from acceptance not for acceptance. Doing ministry from acceptance and for acceptance are two very different things. 3. The comfort of Jesus a. Jonathan Edwards: fear and pride are the driving force behind most of the good deeds that are done in the world. b. The “end goal” of life isn’t ministry – it’s our relationship with God. c. The purpose of ministry is to connect people to the Father 4. Get your soul happy in the Lord. C. Conclusion: Follow Jesus 1. Be filled. a. The need for a vision of God every day b. We are held in the highest regard by the highest being in the universe c. Optional: small group discussion. Suggestions for musical worship: • “ Let It Be Jesus” (Nockels) • “ How Great Thou Art” • “ Jesus, Only Jesus” (Redman) • “ Lord I Need You” (Maher) • “ Forever Reign” (Ingram) • “ Revelation Song” (Riddle) • “ Our God” (Tomlin) • “ All Creatures of Our God and King” (Sovereign Grace) Suggestions for other worship elements: • P rayer groups: Break participants into groups of four to five to pray for their campuses or ministry sites today. Pray that the fame of God and His gospel would go viral there. Pray for specific people and specific opportunities. •D iscussion after the message: Break into small groups and ask participants to discuss what happens when you look for fame and approval in the wrong places. Then talk through what it means to work/ minister from acceptance instead of for it. Message: Introduction In my flesh, I want people to think that I am someone important. I know, it sounds ugly to say it so bluntly, but it’s true. Since our society is so entertainment driven and celebrity conscious, it is really easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your name must be up in lights if you are to be important. Fame is an illusion, but a particularly deceptive one. Popularity can become a slave driver, and as quickly as you can become enthralled by fame’s siren call, it can turn right around and crush you. One day the last handclap of earthly applause will fade and our names will all but be forgotten. Echoing through the halls of heaven, however, will be a Name above all other names resounding.The Famous One will be Jesus. (Read Matthew 3:16-17). 90 Work from acceptance not for acceptance The baptism of Jesus gives us some valuable insight on God’s acceptance and approval. Before Jesus officially began His ministry, He was baptized by John in the Jordan River and given God’s seal of approval:“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Notice the sequence: the validation came before service. Before we can go into ministry, at least go into it effectively, we have to have this seal on our hearts. Doing ministry from acceptance and for acceptance are two very different things.When we work for acceptance, the focus is all about our own success. Life becomes your own “Survivor” TV series where ultimately it’s all about you trying to win. Regardless of how good a face we put on it, when we work for acceptance, we won’t truly serve people for their sake, but really for our own. (Read Ephesians 2:8-10.) From Paul’s words to the Ephesians we get the doctrine of salvation by grace alone. Christianity is fundamentally different from the other religions in the world because it says,“I am accepted, therefore I obey.” Every other religion says,“I obey, therefore I am accepted.” In Christianity, we don’t work for acceptance, but from acceptance. Good works, says Paul, are the natural result of becoming God’s masterpiece.This means we can tell the truth to others, humbly and graciously, without fear, because we don’t need their approval. It means we can serve others, not to add to our spiritual resume, but simply because we are grateful to be alive and filled with joy over God’s love for us. What drives your ministry? Jonathan Edwards spoke about the grace-driven life in his timeless work called The Nature of True Virtue. He observes that fear and pride, not love, are the driving forces behind most of the good deeds that are done in the world. He calls this kind of motivation “common virtue.” For example, people tend to be honest when they are coerced by either fear or pride. If fear, it is because they don’t want to be exposed. If pride, it is because they don’t want to be identified with those “bad” people who lie. Edwards adds that these two also are the fundamental reasons most people ever tell the truth. Ironically, people lie for the very same reasons: fear and pride.We need to explore our hearts and ask:“Why are we doing missions and ministry? Is it driven from love (true virtue), or fear or pride (common virtue)?” of God’s approval and then the service in God’s mission. But, hear me: the “end goal” really isn’t the ministry. It’s all about our relationship with God.We don’t minister and serve just so that more people can do ministry.That would be silly and exhausting for everyone.We minister to connect people to the Father,Who is their home, identity, and truest life.That is an end in itself. Get your soul happy in the Lord Consider this: At His baptism, Jesus had not done a single miracle or any “professional” ministry. God was pleased with Him simply because He was His Son. So now hear this: If you are His child, God is pleased with you today. Right now, before you do any ministry, He loves you and is proud of you. The following quote by George Mueller, a 19th-century orphanage-builder and pastor, is one of my all-time favorites. It describes the one thing that has to get done today: “While I was staying at Nailsworth, it pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, irrespective of human instrumentality, as far as I know, the benefit of which I have not lost, though now . . . more than forty years have since passed away. I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit.”29 What Mueller says is simple but revolutionary. He won’t, or rather can’t, attend life in a right spirit if he doesn’t first have his soul happy in the Lord. That’s his first great and primary business. Why was this important? Because the first 30 minutes of your day is setting the trajectory of the rest of your day. And a habit of this sets the course of your life. We need to get our “soul happy” in God, because the soul must be happy in something. 29 http://hopefaithprayer.com/scriptures/food-for-theinner-man-george-mueller None of our ministry will be properly motivated and authentic until we get the right progression: first the seal 91 Here is how this works out in my own life. If I get up and don’t spend time with the Lord, I go out into my day in weakness. I need others to say nice things about me, and if they don’t, I get my feelings hurt. I tend to work very hard, even too hard and anxiously. I need things to happen “this instant,” and when they don’t, I blame somebody who works for me, or yell at them. I envy others with more success than I have. I take myself too seriously. Since success tends to be a default idol of mine, when I don’t hear and renew God’s approval in my heart, that’s where my heart tends to go. I need to be happy in how others view me. On the other hand, when I get up and get myself “happy in the Lord,” I go out into my day in fresh strength. Now I have a center. If people say mean things about me, it might sting a little, but it will just hit and bounce off. I still work hard….but not driven with anxiety. Now work does not define me and feel like everything; it’s just me having fun in God’s giant sandbox. I play, I accomplish what I can, and then I go to sleep. I’m able to celebrate others’ successes because I’m secure in who I am. I don’t take myself too seriously because now I take God as seriously as possible! Be filled We all need to be filled with a fresh vision of God each day or we will likely throw our souls at anything.We were wired to get attention from Someone, and the gospel shows us where we find this joyful, overwhelming, soul-satisfying attention.We are held in the highest regard by the highest Being in the universe. God offers us the blessing our souls have always longed to hear:“You are my beloved son (or daughter), in you I am well-pleased.” Martin Lloyd Jones, a Welsh pastor in the mid-1900s, gave this illustration: Imagine…“a child walking along holding his father’s hand. All is well.The child is happy. He feels secure. His father loves him. He believes that his father loves him but there is no unusual urge to talk about this or sing about it. It is true and it is pleasant.Then suddenly the father startles the child by reaching down and sweeping him up into his arms and hugging him tightly and kissing him on the neck and whispering, ‘I love you so much!’ And then holding the stunned child back so that he can look into his face and saying with all his heart,‘I am so glad you are mine.’ Then hugging him once more with unspeakable warmth and affection.Then he puts the child down and they continue their walk.” 30 92 As you are sent out today, remember that the fame of Jesus is what you’re after. His name is above every other name, including yours.You don’t have to impress God (or anyone else) because He is pleased with you in your humble, simple, small state. In your serving, remember to work from acceptance, not for it. 30 M artin Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit (Eastbourne, UK: Kingsway Publications, 2008). GUIDED PRAYER EXPERIENCE This progressive prayer service is meant to lead your group through four movements of the gospel and engage with the gospel on a heart level. Literal movement from one station to the next would help participants to transition through the experience/ gospel. Provide background music during each prayer movement. Prayer Stations 1. Adoration Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-4 Description: This station is dedicated to the worship and adoration of God. Isaiah’s vision began with an awe-inspiring view of the King of the universe. This is where our prayer should begin. Jesus intentionally modeled this in His own prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.” Our natural bent is to begin with, “God give me my idols.” We begin prayer by wanting things, many times good things, but things nonetheless. Jesus challenges us: “Before you need anything today, you need to see Me.You need to know Me.” Action: Begin this station by reading Isaiah 6:1-4. Let the Word settle on your heart. Pray quietly. For now, focus only on the goodness and greatness of God and not on any requests. Following this, find a partner and take turns softly reading these Scriptures to each other, then close by praising God together: salm 19:1-6 •P •P salm 19:7-11 •P salm 8 •P salm 63:1-8 2. Confession Scripture: Isaiah 6:5 Description: This station is dedicated to the confession of sins and failures. Isaiah’s first action after seeing Almighty God was to cringe in his guilt and unworthiness. Confession is what comes most naturally after seeing God’s beauty and perfection. Confession of sins puts us in a posture that is ready to receive from God and allow healing to our relationships with God and others. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Action: Begin this station by reading of Isaiah 6:5. Find a partner or two and spend some time in confession that is honest and appropriate. Only share what you are comfortable in confessing in this setting: hat do you need to abandon to God? •W • In what areas do you find it difficult to trust Him? •W hat is your biggest battle in life right now? Take time to pray for each other after sharing. 3. Thanksgiving Scripture: Isaiah 6:6-7 Description: This station is dedicated toward expressing gratitude to God for all He has done for us and given us in the gospel. Isaiah experienced the gracious mercy of the Lord in taking away his sin and his life was changed. We experience true freedom when we abandon ourselves totally to Jesus. Joy and thanksgiving is a natural result of our turning toward Jesus. Action: Begin this station by reading Isaiah 6:6-7. Find a partner or two and share at least one Scripture verse or passage you know that declares God’s love, kindness, and mercy for sinners. Share a time of blessing each other with specific encouragement. For example: “Sarah, the Lord loves you so much and sees your sincere heart; and I see such a warrior in you and want to encourage you with…..” etc. Thank God together for His forgiveness, mercy, and hope. 4. Supplication Scripture: Isaiah 6:8 Description: This station is dedicated to praying through your own personal requests, and also to intercede for the world and the people around us. When we see God’s holiness, our own sin, and God’s grace, we are led to surrender to God’s purposes both for our lives and in the world. Action: Begin this station with a reading of Isaiah 6:8. Consider what God has in mind for you as a result of your repentance and submission to Him. Imagine yourself before His throne with the opportunity to ask for anything. What would you ask? Pray about this. Find a partner to pray for your community, your mission, and people you know who need Jesus. Pray for the specific needs and ask that God would use you to be an agent of change in those places. 93 RETURN TO SERVE WHAT COMES NEXT? Your project is not over! In fact, it is never over.Your mission trip is simply one expression of a mission life. The call for you to be on mission continues.You and your group need to carefully consider what comes next. Mission trip participants need to debrief and reflect on their project experiences if the impact of the prject is to extend into application in their daily lives at home. Immediately following your group’s mission experience is a great time to bring everyone back together to evaluate what has been accomplished and to celebrate God’s work. Expect that your involvement in this project will lead to greater things. Consider this checklist as a way to maximize your return from the mission project: • Encourage students to journal their experiences before, during, and after their missions experience. Structure a time during the return home for them to process a set of questions. See the “On the trip home” in this section. • Plan and conduct the group debriefing session provided in this section. Invite others who have supported the project to attend so they can celebrate the results of the project and enjoy the pictures, stories, and testimonies. • Introduce students to other missional opportunities at your church, your community, and overseas with IMB.Visit imbstudents. org for possibilities, stories, and videos. • Plan a report session to your church or larger student group. • Consider further mission partnership and involvement for your students as a result of this project. • Maintain contact with the missionary and local believers. Develop and share prayer requests from the field. Use Skype and social media to keep the connection personal. 94 • Consider a return next year to build uponwhat was accomplished and to continue the relationships that have been established. This might involve an existing project or one you create on your own. The IWC Network can assist in either way. Email IWCNetwork@imb. org or call 804-219-1355. • Consider sending one or two students for a whole summer or a semester. Longer service, even with just a small team, can be very strategic and develop a partnership. For help, contact IMB students at imbstudents.org or call 800-789-4693. • Incorporate “mission moments” as a regular part of your worship or Bible study gatherings. Find relevant stories and video clips at imbstudents.org and also at vimeo.com/imbstudents. • Financial support for missionaries is a critical need. Consider how you can encourage missions giving among your students. Check out ways to support international missions at imb.org/main/lottie-moon. • Consider leading your student group or church to adopt and advocate for a specific need overseas. OneLife is an IMB initiative that connects students to a specific place, people, and human need where the gospel is being shared. They can adopt a project through giving, praying, advocating, and going. See onelifematters.org. GROUP DEBRIEFING SESSION which you can project onto a screen while they speak. (Encourage them to talk about what God did during the week, not to give merely a list of activities or to share about the most exotic experience of their trip such as using a squatty potty or eating strange food.) Materials needed: • S nacks and drinks •C omputer •P rojector • S creen •P hotos and video clips from the project • 8 x 11 enlargements of a dozen or so photos from the trip • The flag of your host country and other items that represent the locale (such as inflatable palm trees if you went to a tropical country) to use as decor • S ouvenirs that trip participants purchased to use as decor • A list of other mission opportunities for your students. The IMB can provide materials that can help students consider the next step in mission involvement. (You can order copies of a student “Go” booklet: email [email protected] or call 800-789-4693) Advance preparation: 1. D ecide on a venue for this session. A host home may be best if you chose to limit it to project participants.You may wish to conduct this session with other students and supporters in attendance and will then need a larger space. 2. C onsider providing refreshments. If so, enlist volunteers to provide food and drinks. 3. C reate a brief slide show or video presentation of the project. 4. P repare to distribute a list of upcoming mission opportunities. The student “Go” booklet from IMB highlights international opportunities of duration from one week to two years. 5. D isplay photos, souvenirs and other decorations around the meeting room as decor. 6. Try to set up seating in a circle so everyone can hear and see each other. 7. E nlist three or four of the participants to share a “God story,”e.g., what they saw God do on the trip. Ask each to speak for 5 to 7 minutes and to give you two or three photos to accompany the story, 8. Arrange, if possible, a date for your group to make a presentation to the congregation or larger student group. Lead the session: 1. Introduce the session. Invite people to look around at the souvenirs and photos and to eat snacks until everyone has arrived. 2. S hare a photo or video presentation of the project. Seat the group and begin the presentation. 3. Introduce a a testimony time. Invite the previously enlisted participants to share their God stories while you display the photos of the stories. 4. O rganize the gathering into smaller groups for personal sharing. (Note: this could be a great time for participants to share some of their answers from the “On the trip home” questions elsewhere in this section.) a. Ask each participant to share something God taught him/her from the devotions, ministry, culture, or worship experiences. b. Ask participants to discuss how they saw God answer prayer before, during, or even after the project. c. Ask participants to share any decision or commitment they made as a result of this project. 5. O ffer a prayer of thanks and praise. Thank God for all He did during the trip and ask Him to continue to work in mighty ways in your ministry locations and to lead your participants to give all their lives to His dreams and plans for them. 6. P lan together the report presentation for the church or student group. a. Announce the date you will make your church presentation. b. C onsider developing the presentation as a video if time is limited and to tell the story as well as possible. Include pictures, video clips, and recorded testimonies from the group. 95 c. An option for a live presentation is to prepare and use the “Story Card” method. In this approach, each participant creates a sign on a piece of poster board. One side begins a sentence and the other completes it. The sentence relates to something experienced or accomplished on the project. For example, on the front is “First time I shared my faith” and on the back is “Two kids prayed to receive Christ.” Plan to have music in the background when participants share these story cards in the service. 7. Invite and challenge participants to further and deeper missions involvement. a. H and out and explain the materials about mission opportunities. b. R emind participants that all of life is to be focused on what is God’s passion – He is passionate about the lost coming to know Him. God may lead them to serve on mission again, possibly in a greater capacity. This IWC project should not be their last experience in missions. c. C onsider using this meeting to not only bring some closure to the project but also serve as the launch point for other missional engagement for your students. For instance, be prepared to share your plans for the next mission trip or outreach effort. d. E ncourage parents as well to participate next time if they were not able to go this time. e. E ncourage everyone to recruit other students for the next mission opportunity. Allow them to be ambassadors for international missions in your church and student ministry. (You might even follow up with a Bible study on leadership with this group of students.) 8. E ngage in a significant prayer time. a. P ray for the people at the project who were served. Pray for the 96 missionaries, the work that will continue, and all the needs that continue to exist. b. P ray for the next steps in participants’ lives. Ask for God’s guidance on how He wants to use this experience to guide them into further obedience and availablity to His mission. c. Ask parents to pray for their students to follow God’s leading. 9. E ncourage team members to remain in prayer and be accountable to each other. ON THE TRIP HOME: PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR RE-ENTRY Journaling your opportunities, encounters, and lessons learned on a mission trip is a valuable, time-tested way to make the most of your experience. Consider these questions for a journal entry or personal essay at the end of the trip. 1. What did you (and your team) seek to accomplish when you first started out on this mission project? Did those goals change as things progressed? 2. What did you see accomplished as a result of this project? 3. H ow did you see God at work? 4. D o you have a “God story” from your trip you could share with your family and friends at home? Summarize it. 5. What prayer requests did you come home with? Who are some people for whom you should pray? For what needs or concerns on the mission field should you pray? 6. H ow do you feel about leaving your host country? Who are some people you will miss? 7. H ow did God speak to you through this experience? 8. What new perspectives do you have about God, missions, people or yourself from this experience trip? 9. As a result of this project, how would you like to see God continue to work in and through your life? 97 NOTES 98