Text: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” John 17.15
Week #1: Where are you going, how are you going to get there, what are you going to do?
Week #2: Expect distractions, turn to the map, arrive safely.
Week #3: Attitude of silence, soundness, stillness
Week #4: Back to reality?
There is a reality that God wants us to live in. Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. Einstein. Students today can often hide behind computer screens, creative screen names, athletic events…live with out anyone truly discovering who you are. God desires to bring his reality into your heart, so that you may live in harmony with his desire for your life. Notice that Christ prayed for us “not to be taken out of the world, but to protect us from the evil one.” Meaning that there will be moments when we no longer want to live in our current state of affairs, and secondly that as we live in this world, we will face conflict. Otherwise why would Christ pray for us to be protected? There is a reality that God desires us to live in. Reality doesn’t mean we neglect dreaming for the future. It means we can’t stick our heads in the sand and ignore what is happening around us.
All of us can maximize our summer vacation if we establish ourselves in the realities that God desires us to live in.
1. Reality of the Cross: "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Notice how Christ triumphed over powers, authorities and law (written code)? By the cross!
It was not by human effort, keeping certain rules, adhering to the spiritual disciplines for “x” number hours a day. It was the cross!
“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel–not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” 1 Cor. 1.17
Students must walk in the power of the cross. You do not conquer the realities of temptation, frustrations, anger, hurt, addictions, etc. without the reality of the cross. The cross is our banner for victory. The cross is what we hold high as the sign of our victory.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Gal. 6.14
It is through the cross that we have victory. But Lance many have died on a cross. Yes but only God’s son has died and the cross for our victory. He does not want us to be taken from the world, but by the authority found in the cross we can live protected lives and victorious lives. The battle for the reality of the cross must be fought. Students in this room are willing to give their lives for the cross…give their lives for the advancement of his kingdom.
No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his body… to risk his well being… to risk his life… in a great cause.
– T. Roosevelt...
We do not use any other symbol as the token of our faith more than the cross. It’s not just cool jewelry to wear, but the mode of death for our Master, and our emblem of victory. It is the gold medal that we wear saying we are champions over sin, death, hell and the grave. We are to walking in the victory of God and that victory is found in the cross.
2 points of victory:
1. Victory over the law
2. Victory over powers and authorities.
2. Reality of Community: " The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
1 Corinthians 12.12-20
Does this sound familiar? “To become a biblically functioning community of student believers through whom Christ’s redemptive purposes can be accomplished in our schools and in our city.”?
That is our vision statement. We have the vision of becoming a community. Listen, if you want to make it successfully in this Christian life you need the help and encouragement of others. God made us relational beings. Albeit some are more relational than others, we are not meant to live life alone.
Do you see in our text where it says that we are “one body in Christ.”? We are dependent on each other. The analogy is so simple and easy to read that not much needs to be said, other than we need each other. We are not called to cliques, or exclusive groups, or isolating others, we are called to love people as Christ has loved us. The reality about community is that your schools are a community. Probably not biblically functioning community, but a community nonetheless. With it we get school pride, athletic teams, debate clubs and a sense of pride for where we are at school. It is community. We need to take our community here at Revolution and welcome any that come in.
With community comes great challenges?
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. “ Eph. 4.3-6
We must strive hard to maintain the unity of the Spirit. We need the reality of community. When we discover the power of the three-chord rope that’s not easily broken, power of friendships, power of encouragement, power of accountability, power of vulnerability, power of fellowshipping with God and students like ourselves.
3. Reality of Calling: " Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28.19-20
Paul Harvey said, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium."
Remember it was Jesus who called us to be fishers of men. Our calling is to share our faith, to make disciples, teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded.
Our motive is good, our zeal is noteworthy, our energy and persistence are commendable, but our knowledge on how to do this is faulty. Notice Christ does not want you to win people to Christ he wants you to baptize them. We lay the responsibility on the church for discipleship, when I believe that the best place for discipleship is in a one on one relationship. Christ didn’t disciple his 12 young mentors in the synagogue; he did walking down the street, shopping in the villages, looking over a mountain. We encourage you to win souls, but are you discipling them. And the logical question then becomes…are you discipled? A group of students have left this room for a time tonight…why to begin the process the discipleship. You are to duplicate yourself in others and frankly I do not want you doing that. We are called according to Ephesians 4 to equip you to do the work of the ministry. We are moving towards that, and will always move towards it. But the reality of your calling is to make disciples not converts. Large contingents of students at Leander H.S. have found Christ…is that fulfilling Mt. 28.19-20? No! Make disciples, which means you, need to be discipled yourself. And you are not a disciple after 5 weeks in an elevation class. You are discipled when God says and I have never heard him say that. We are always in the discipleship process?
I hope that tonight you have discovered the reality of your calling. You have discovered that God is calling you, not out of this world, but to influence this world with the gospel of God.
