inaGODplace: BELONG | BECOME

Monday, January 14, 2008

BELONG | BECOME | BEYOND

We began our new series looking at a simple spiritual life pathway. Everyone is unique and we all meet God in ways that are as individual as we are. Yet, there are three places that God has prepared for every Christian. He invites us to find a place to BELONG, a place to BECOME and a place to go BEYOND. The spiritual life is connection, transformation and mission. One leads to the next. What do you think? Where do you belong? How are you becoming more like Christ? Where have you gone beyond your world into the bigger world? Do you know where you are or where you're going?

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4 comments:

Scott said...: I can't wait to see what God is going to do during this series!!; January 19, 2008 at 6:57 AM
Anonymous said...: I hope you were at Sunday's service. If you were, what was the BIG "take home" for you from David's message?; January 21, 2008 at 9:28 PM
Leilanni said...: Well, we missed Sunday since our daughter was sick but I just heard the sermon online. Two things:

1. My big "take home" - it's not all about me :-) Not that I necessarily thought it was but it's a good reminder. Gifts need to be shared, offerings need to be made, connections need to be sought out . . .not just for my own spiritual growth but to perhaps play a part in someone else's growth as well.

2. I like the 3 "B"s . . .Belong, Become, Beyond. But it seems to me that the last two are not just one-stop destinations but places we visit over and over again as we grow. Thoughts?; January 24, 2008 at 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...: I totally agree. If you are in Christ ("saved") then you have "arrived" in one sense. You BELONG to HIM and nothing will ever change that (Rom 8:38-39). Your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:13). And we know that God is doing a work in us ("He who began a good work in you, will complete it..." Philippians 1) transforming us, shaping us, making us more and more like His Son. This BECOMING is a journey of a lifetime, a journey with Him, walking together, sometimes falling behind Him, but always a relationship. Sometimes we cooperate (yielding ourselves to God, as instruments of righteousness) and sometimes we resist, we quench the Spirit. Along the way, though, we begin to realize that this is not about me, what I get out of it...we discover that it is about HIM. He reveals His glory to us and through us He reveals His glory to the world. We go BEYOND ourselves at times and every now and then we experience His pleasure. "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him." (Philippians 2:13)

Whoa!; January 24, 2008 at 8:39 PM

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BEYOND
Passion. Vision. Mission. Call it “overflow.” It’s the logical next step from life-transformation. Changed people change their world. They go beyond their home and church and into their world. Simply put, they give away what they got.

This is the pattern of true discipleship. Jesus sent His followers back to the beginning —to Galilee—so that they could reproduce the incredible life that Jesus had given to them. As our lives are changed, we take a step into places beyond our comfort level and convenience. We pay the price of surrender. We give our lives away in our church, in our neighborhood, in our world. And something remarkable happens. We meet a person who is wandering from one place to another and we bring them along with us. They find a place to belong, a place to become and a place to go beyond. Multiplication. Magnificent! It’s the sweet spot you were made for.

Get ready. Don’t hide from the mission you were made for. Step out. Explore a place beyond.

BECOME
Conversion. Renovation. Transformation. It’s all about change. God’s grace welcomes us just as we are. However, God’s glory won’t let us stay just as we are. He is in the business of changing us from one kind of living to a higher kind. The best place we can be is the place where we are becoming more and more like Jesus.

Transformation is a dance. It takes two. On the one hand, God’s Holy Spirit works from the inside, renovating our hearts to change our habits, motivations and passions. We may only know this makeover in hindsight. On the other hand, we cooperate with the Spirit. Call it discipline. Call it obedience. We can’t change our heart, but we can place ourselves in God’s groove of grace. And, as we become more like Christ, we discover the sweet spot we were made for.

Open up. Don’t settle for the status quo. Take the next step. This is a place to become.

BELONG
Association. Integration. Connection. When God created people, He said, “It is very good” and when He saw that there was only one, He added “It is not good for man to be alone.” We were made by God and for God. We were also designed for life with one another. Everyone needs a place to belong. It’s our sweet spot. It’s the place to be.

Belonging begins with the discovery of life in Christ. Jesus said “Come to Me,” inviting lonely people into the wonder of a new adventure with Him. Those who belong to Christ soon learn the joy of belonging to His Church—the corporate gathering of a rich diversity of people who worship, serve and encounter the same Lord. But, it doesn’t stop there. Through the church, many explore what it means to belong to community—a group of people who do life together.

Enter in. Don’t stand on the sidelines. Take the first step. Come find a place to belong.