Question: “What are the 5 biggest CHANGES going on inside you and how are you keeping the breadth of teachings in balance with each other?”
Change #1: Experiencing Victory Because Of The Basics
(“Who We Are & What We’re All About”- Jimmy Seibert, 9-11-2008)
One of the greatest changes that has occurred in my life, through Elevate, is the victory I have experienced on a daily basis. Most of my Christian life has resembled a rollercoaster: I have gone up and down spiritually, riding the waves of God’s grace and mercy until I sin by commission (doing what I shouldn’t do) or omission (not doing what I should do). Jimmy has said, “Grace is for victory, not just for forgiveness.” Jesus has poured His grace and truth (John 1:17) into my life through the spiritual disciplines Elevate holds us accountable to practice. I have feasted on the Word of God through memorizing scripture, Sunday sermon’s and Elevates teachings, but the spiritual disciplines that have affected me most are evangelism, fasting, discipleship, and Lifegroup participation.
Through focusing on the basics of “Who We Are; What We’re All About” (Jimmy’s Elevate teaching on 9/11/2008) I have experienced victory. Jimmy said that our values reveal who we are and what’s important to us. He said by “desiring something, then disciplining ourselves to do it, it will eventually become our delight.” Antioch’s values, are the values of the King and His Kingdom: Loving God, Loving the Body and Loving the Lost. Through this teaching I have changed in regards to evangelism. Evangelism is what God put on my heart that night and because I desire to be faithful in evangelism I have disciplined myself to do it regularly and now I delight to do it! (Sometimes…it is often still a discipline and obedience, but I am being faithful and I enjoy it most of the time.) Through faithfulness to sharing the gospel I am now experiencing victory over the fear of man and bearing more fruit for the kingdom.
Fasting has been full of God’s grace. I have fasted regularly, on a weekly basis, for the past couple of years, but the extended corporate fasts have taken my experience of God’s grace to a whole new level! Steve Nicholson hit the mark when he said, “Fasting reveals what you’ve been suppressing with food.” I was suppressing frustration, discomfort and spiritual hunger with food. God also spoke to me through a classmate testifying she had a wrong relationship with food. The Holy Spirit told me I had a “wrong relationship with food,” As I prayed about it, God revealed that I “look to food” for satisfaction and that only He, ONLY HE, can satisfy my hungers. Without the extended corporate fasts, I don’t believe I would have been sensitive to God’s desire to give me victory over looking to food for satisfaction. Now, instead of going to food for satisfaction, fasting has trained me to go to God.
Discipleship & Lifegroup participation have changed me as well. In the past I have gone to Lifegroups, been discipled and discipled others, but never have I done all three at the same time. I have learned that there is no substitute for doing them all, all the time. Jesus tells us to love others, Mark 12:32, and the best way for us to love the body of Christ is through Lifegroup and discipleship. I need to be discipled for accountability and consistent growth, but until I had someone to disciple I didn’t have a regular outlet for my new growth. Discipleship relationships in my Lifegroup have strengthened me and the Lifegroup by encouraging deeper worship through personal transparency and transformation.
In Jimmy’s sermon, 9/20/2008, he said that “there is an accrued grace”, if our character has not been formed by God’s grace through obedience and spiritual disciplines we will not have the strength to live victoriously. Jimmy used the example of running marathons and said that “if you don’t train for the race, with the end in sight, you will never be able to finish the race.” Through the accountability of Elevate’s requirements, which are the basics of Kingdom Living, I have experienced more victory in my life than ever before! Because of the disciplines of fasting, discipleship and evangelism I am now consistently seeking God, loving the body of Christ and sharing the Gospel with the lost.
Change #2: Living As Beloved
(Victory Over The Darkness, Father Heart of God- John Dawson,
Identity in Christ- Margie Atwood)
I grew up in the church, but most of what I knew of God was His attributes of Holiness and Justice, and because I knew I was not holy I feared God’s justice. Through Victory Over The Darkness, The Father Heart of God and Identity in Christ I have experienced the Love of God in a deeper and more penetrating way than ever before. This experience of God’s love has brought greater freedom, peace and joy. It has been like fresh air to one locked in a dungeon, cool water to a parched man and gentle sunshine to one who has lived in the darkness.
Neil Anderson writes, “Next to a knowledge of God, a knowledge of who you are is the most important truth you can possess….The major strategy of satan is to distort the character of God and the truth of who we are.” (p. 47, Victory Over The Darkness) I used to struggle with eternal security, I figured I’d sin less than I did if I was saved, but I sinned a lot! By believeing that I am a child of God by faith, I have been able to overcome much of my struggle with security because I believe what the Bible says, not what satan says. One of the exercises that helped me really turn a corner in my feelings and understanding of security in Jesus was the “Yeah, buts” assignment. I wrote out 4 pages of scriptues refuting the lies that satan regularly uses against me! This has allowed me to have truth ready to combat the enemy.
The Father Heart of God teaching, by John Dawson, helped me to experience my adoption by my Father as opposed to my servanthood to my King. I have known that being a servant to the King of the Universe is a great privilege, but I had not known much of the Proud-Love of my Father, which brings peace and fulfillment. Dawson said, “I can see God calling over the angels, ‘Michael, Gabriel, come here. Look at them (humans), they can’t even see me, but they believe!’” John Dawson conveyed the Good, Proud heart of a Loving Father. He conveyed God’s heart to me in a way I have never known. Since then, when I am asking what God what He is saying, it is often, “I am so proud of you!” Sometimes I just sit and meditate on that truth and I bounce through my day with joy!
Margie Atwood really brought all the Identity in Christ, Father Heart of God and Victory over the Darkness truths together for me by saying, “You don’t have to strive!” In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “…you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” While I used to walk in some truth: “I am God’s servant”, Margie has helped me to walk in greater, more balanced truth. I have personalized her quote: “Before God, I am royalty (intimate with God). My assignment is servanthood. My authority is over the powers of darkness.”
Change #3: Freedom Through Slavery
(Relinquishing Rights- Loren Cunningham)
Fear mixed with anticipation were the dominant feelings inside me when we sat down to listen to Loren Cunningham teach about Relinquishing Rights. The anticipation came from hopes of living in freedom and experiencing the Kingdom of God by relinquishing my rights, but the fear came from knowing which rights I needed to lay down: my children, my reputation, and my finances. Through Loren’s teaching & my response, I have changed and experienced the freedom I hoped for and the fruit of the Spirit.
Loren said “Relinquishing rights + retaining responsibilities = rewards of relationship with God.” And, relinquishing rights is “simply the way of the cross. Jesus gave up the greatest rights to become a man.” He said that we relinquish our rights by “giving our God-given rights back to God.” God has given me my children, my reputation and finances; I have worked hard to grow them. But, I have also experienced the burden of trying to manage and protect them. Giving my children, reputation and finances back to God, while doing my best to be faithful with them (relinquishing rights + retaining responsibilities) has changed me by deepening my relationship with God and freeing me from feeling responsible for those rights. I am more thankful to God for my children, reputation and finances, and I realize that they are gifts and can be taken away immediately, as Job experienced.
I have learned a lot over the years in regards Biblical financial principles. I have done workbooks from Larry Burkett and facilitated Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and through these resources learned to be a good money manager. But I am more than a money manager for God; I am a steward of His resources. My money is really money loaned to me by God to expand His kingdom. When I see money as His, it frees me and makes me more fruitful.
My reputation as a well-liked person is precious to me and I have worked hard to build it. But, God wants us to share the Gospel for His sake and the sake of the lost. Often, sharing the Gospel causes people not to like you as light clashes with darkness. The fear of man was a satanic stronghold in my heart. As I have relinquished my right to my reputation and shared the gospel I have experienced God’s affirmation as a faithful servant and encouraged many people through prayer and my testimony. I have also experienced rejection and my reputation has changed, but to God’s glory; my eternal reputation is being built as Jesus said, “whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8)
Offering my children back to God has been the hardest right to relinquish. God has called our family to serve orphans in Africa, which has inherent risks to children: disease, war and natural dangers. My wife knows Jesus and I will spend eternity with her in heaven, but our children have not chosen Him yet. What if we go to Africa and experience tragedy? What if they become hardened to God through the experience? What if…? The truth is that the “What if’s” can happen in America as well. My children are Jesus’ first and entrusted to my wife and I to love and raise for Him. We are called to do our best with our children in the context of His call on our lives and He will glorify Himself in us and our children. The major change this has produced in my life is that I have learned to lay my rights to my children down on a daily basis by praying over them as I put them to bed.
Change #4: Seeking Submission
(Spiritual Authority)
One of the most evident ways God has changed me is I now seek to honor the will of the authorities in my life. Before, when God spoke to me, I used to consider each direction, reasoning whether it was a good or bad idea. Watchman Nee said, “This is nothing but the manifestation of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Spiritual Authority, p. 94) Now, I seek to honor my authority and only worry about reasoning when the command will lead me to disobey God. Three obvious changes are in my relationship with the body of Christ, at work and while driving.
In Christ’s body I used to seek to hear God’s direction for ministry. This is good, but I didn’t realize that He wanted to guide me audibly through the direction of the authority over me in His church. In Lifegroup, I asked my leader what he wanted me to do? He said lead worship for us. I now lead worship weekly. I used to struggle justifying all the “requirements” of Elevate. Now I realize that God has called me to honor the requirements that He has given me through Shoan and Elevate. By honoring my spiritual authorities I have experienced more growth in my life than I ever have before.
At work I now only seek to please my boss. I used to worry about doing what I wanted to, in addition to doing what she wanted me to do, that only complicated things and added to my workload. After realizing that God wants me to submit to her I only worry about doing the things I know she wants me to do, the way she wants me to do them. I have created spreadsheets that help me focus on only doing what my boss wants me to do.
I have also memorized 1 Peter 2:13, which says, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men…” God convicted me about speeding, because I was in rebellion against the government. I thought the speed limits were unreasonable…there I was using my reason to justify rebellion. Therefore, I committed to obey the speed limit. This was unexplainably hard for me, but the submission killed a fleshly stronghold in my heart!
By seeking submission in every area of life I have experienced freedom and Jesus’ easy yoke. (Matthew 11:30) One great side effect is that I have also discovered more about myself! As I have sought to honor my boss I learned that I was built for an administrative/managerial role in God’s kingdom. When sharing this with the McCall’s who are working in Uganda, they asked, “How soon can you get to Uganda?” If I had not sought submission I would not have learned more about what God created and gifted me to do.
Change #5: God’s Heart For The Lost
(Obsessed With Jesus & His Obsession- Robert Herber)
I have mentioned evangelism in the context of Change #1: Experiencing Victory Because of the Basics, and Change #3: Relinquishing Rights, but God has changed my heart and given me His heart for the lost, which has produced my growth in evangelism. Robert Herber blessed me greatly through his teaching on God’s Heart For the Lost and the assignment he gave us to meditate on Luke 15.
Robert said, “We need a motivating factor higher than ourselves to share the gospel.” In order to get that motivating factor he challenged us to pray, “Father, break my heart for the lost!” As I have prayed that prayer God has melted the fear of man in my heart and given me a love for man instead.
Meditating on Luke 15: the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son; changed my heart as well. Through that passage God revealed to me that the rejoicing at finding the lost justifies all the pain and energy spent on “the search”, or sharing the gospel.
I have evangelized in ways I never have before! At the prompting of God’s Spirit I have stood up and shared my testimony at a restaurant! I have left my house specifically to share the gospel (above and beyond Elevate requirements)! I have taken advantage of every opportunity given to me at company staff meetings to stand up and testify about Jesus or my relationship with Him!
Conclusion: “How are you keeping the breadth of teachings in balance with each other?”
The Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), which make up Jimmy’s teaching on “Who We Are & What We’re All About”, are the foundation of the Law & the Prophets, according to Jesus. They are also the foundation that I am living my life from. Experiencing the “Father Heart of God” toward me and understanding my “Identity in Christ” have expanded those foundations and allowed me to walk out Margie’s quote, “Before God, I am royalty (intimate with God). My assignment is servanthood. My authority is over the powers of darkness.”
These foundational truths could be twisted by satan into temptations of pride; attempts to make me think I am something in and of myself, apart from God. This is where “Relinquishing Rights” and “Spiritual Authority” keep me in check. “Relinquishing Rights” reminds me that everything I am and have is a gift from God to be utilized for His kingdom and glory. “Spiritual Authority” guides me into how to live humbly, on the straight and narrow road to heaven.
The grace-appropriating spiritual disciplines, that we do weekly, keep me in balance, as well. Spending time with Jesus every morning focuses me on Jesus, His kingdom and my purpose. Fasting keeps my flesh in check, while filling my heart with scripture through reading and memorization helps me to keep my way pure, Psalm 119:9. Evangelism helps me fight against the kingdom of darkness while regular fellowship (Lifegroup & Discipleship) keeps me strong in Lord and His mighty power, Ephesians 6:10.
No comments:
Post a Comment