Disciple Up #98
Wounded By the Church, Pt. 2
By Louie Marsh, 3- 6-2019
Very common problem –
My Personal Story: Don’t focus on blame – focus on responsibility and YOUR responsibility in particular. Get on with fixing that instead of futilely trying to fix blame – let God do that.
DO NOT buy into the Victim Culture! – Rom. 8:37 “…we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us…”
Three Don’ts:
- Don’t DEMAND MY (OR OTHER’S) rights
- Don’t focus on WHAT I’VE LOST
- Don’t let my ANGER OR PAIN drive me
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; Hebrews 12:14-15 (ESV)
Three Do’s:
- Focus on WHOSE you are.
1 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, 2 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 (ESV)
Whose am I? My self? My family’s? My culture’s? Or JESUS’??
You know what the right answer should be to that question. What you need to do now is to find out if the REAL answer and the RIGHT answer are the SAME answer!
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Romans 14:7-8 (NIV)
- Focus on OBEYING God’s Call.
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Isaiah 61:2-4 (ESV)
God’s Call on All Disciples: To Proclaim…
- The Good News
- Liberty to the Captives
- Sight for the blind
- The Lord’s Favor & Judgment
- To comfort those who mourn
- To strengthen them to maturity
- To restore what has been devastated
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Hebrews 12:3-4 (ESV)
You have to keep working for the Lord through this process. He will bring healing and understanding to you through the work you do for him.
Right now there are people here who aren’t doing anything and others who are doing far too many things. Those of you not really engaged need to step up to those doing too much and say, “Hey, I’ll take that.”
Please Get In Touch!
Email – louie@discipleup.org
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