Random to Strategic

Scott

Mind Shifts • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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What are some of you favorite games…Sports….Jobs you have had…(GET RESPONSES)

all of these things have one thing in common…success in any of these things does not just happen.

Intro:

In order to do well in any of these things requires a plan, or a strategy.

What are some of you favorite games…Sports….Jobs you have had…all of these things have one thing in common…success in any of these things does not just happen. In order to do well in any of these things requires a plan, or a strategy. (GET RESPONSES)

We accept this as a fact of life when it comes to games or jobs…we put the time into developing plan…even checkers takes time to understand not only a current move but we try to think two of three moves ahead…we set people up fo the double triple or even the quadruple jump.

We plan our week…if we are in sales we develop a plan to pitch our product in a way that not only tells people what our product is but why they just have to have it. WE do not balk at developing strategy because we know a strategy is important to success.

However when it comes to growing the kingdom of God or spiritual growth we embrace random.

We buy into the myth that God is going to do what God is going to do in our life then we struggle when it seems like God is not doing anything.

Truth is…

Then we wonder Why God does not seem to be moving.

Truth is…

Spontaneity is not the Father of Spiritual Growth.

Even Jesus had a plan when He came to earth. God did not send Jesus and say we will just wing it.

Instead God sent Jesus because God knew exactly what the end game was. God’s plan from the beginning was to bring salvation or forgivness of sins to the world.

It was not to bring world peace. It was not to save us from government, It was not to give us more money to buy more stuff.

Jesus came to bring to us and the entire world forgivness of Sin.

There was a strategy used by God where Jesus would be born of a virgin, teach about the coming of the kingdom of God, be arrested and lied about beaten, turned on by those who claimed to love him and eventually executed on the cross….in three days raised from the dead, showing His power over death giving us hope of a resurrection, teach from the day of His resurrection to the day of His Ascension about the new order to things.

Even after His resurrection there was still a purpose to His teaching. It was not to leave a blueprint about how to over throw the Romans, and develop a theocracy.

It was not five ways to a blessed life.

Jesus was teaching us that once he left this world His disciples would still be here…but not alone…He would send us the Holy Spirit.

So that we could have the power to let the rest of the world know the reason He came…the kingdom of God was no longer a concept that Pharisees and Sadducees and priest would argue…it was a reality.

The kingdom of God has come and we are now to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and direct us to tell the world.

None of this was by accident…

God is not random He has a strategy for all of us to follow.

If we are going to live the life that Jesus died for we must do more that talk in random ways about how to win people to Jesus and disciple them.

We must take the Biblical concept of being intentional about communicating the kingdom of God to a world that seems to still be waiting for some thing That God has already done.

Even the disciples struggled with intentionally doing what Jesus was teaching them. :6

6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

In other words Jesus when are you just going do what we are all looking for. When are you going to make me happy?

Prior to this we see Jesus teaching people about the coming of the Holy Spirit and what they needed to do to prepare for the Spirit’s coming.

However the question from the disciples was totally random.

How many times has someone frustrated you when you explained something in detail only to realize they still had their own agenda?

I think,...I think that sometimes the idea of building the kingdom of God and living an engaged Christian life is easier than actually doing it.

We can’t plant churches because we have no resources, we need to disciple our people first, or the big one we just need more prayer…All of these are important…all of these things need to be dealt with…but not at the expense of the will or the strategy of God.

I think I think that sometimes the idea of building the kingdom of God and living an engaged Christian life is easier than actually doing it. So we unintentionally float around in the concept or the randomness of life because if we get specific we are not allowed excuses.

Our thinking shapes our actions. Jesus does not allow the disciples to stay focused on the random here. Neither does he want us distracted by the Random

7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Basically he was saying to his disciples…you are focused on the wrong thing…the thing that you are asking about has nothing to do with what I need you to do.

you bring to the table…God alone knows the time that He will make all things right.

Your job my job is to receive the power of the Holy Spirit to do what???? Witness, telling people everywhere about Jesus. Go to your home town, to your state, to your country and to the ends of the earth.

Jesus was teaching the disciples God’s strategy for bringing the kingdom of God to the world.

In order to be a part of this strategy we must participate in this strategy not just randomly hope that God will bring people in.

We have all heard the quote by Augustine that says preach always sometimes use words…while this sounds great the problem with it is its not true nor biblical…IT IS IMPORTANT TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE…however when it comes to building the kingdom of God Kevin Harney says it is like saying feed everyone but sometimes use food.

When we embrace randomness as spiritual we embrace empty seats…we embrace platitudes over substance and we embrace the worlds snap shot of the Christian life instead of God’s abundance.

When we practice Spirit led Biblical Strategy we become part of a movement of God that the gates of Hell will never stop.

Jesus laid out a strategic plan…He did not say whatever happens happens.

He taught that we should be about God’s plan which the allows the Spirit to use us to live His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.

Jesus lays out HIs strategy starts with verse 4

4 …“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before…. ”

Wait on the Spirit to Empower you…Publicly and Privately Gather to hear God.

Go To your family…Jerusalem…Grow

Go To your friends…Judea…Serve

Go To your Enemies…Samaria…Serve

Go To complete strangers…The world…Multiply

One Wait and Three Go’s

We are instructed by Jesus to Wait on the empowerment of the Spirit and then Go in the empowerment of the Spirit.

We do not randomly grow closer to Jesus…We will not randomly see growth in the kingdom of God though our church without adopting a spirit led biblical strategy.

God Has Given us the Strategy all we have to do is implement it...

As we come to the table this morning think about how you need to move from Random to Specific.

Remember The Broken Body and Shed Blood of Christ was not Random but Strategic for the forgivness of our sin and the sins of the world.

The Altars are open for you to seek The Spirit…so you can go and be specific in building the kingdom of God.

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