|
Everything Jesus Said to Do
On Sunday 27th January we considered a possible new sign for us to erect out the front of the church proposed by Dallas Willard and based on the great commission in Matthew 28:
We Teach All Who Seriously Commit Themselves to Jesus
How to Do Everything He Said to Do
We had a short discussion time and people submitted various areas where we were challenged. There was a significant amount of overlap (indicated by bold text) so here in the best tradition of top 10 lists is our top 17:
- be humble
- do not judge
- do not worry
- forgive
- heal sick,
- free captives
- feed poor
- love God more, abide in Christ
- love others
- love enemies
- put self out
- put God first
- sharing possesions
- spreading gospel, teaching what we’ve learnt to others
- visiting people
- discover people’s needs and try to offer help
- be salt of the earth
This is a challenging list. I would be interested to get your comments. Which of these do you find challenging. Are there challenging aspects of Jesus' teaching that we have left out? Have you grown in any of these areas - how did it happen?
|
David Wanstall, 04/02/2008 |
|
 | Malcolm Pryor (Guest) | 05/02/2008, 20:34 | | I am really struggling to love my enemies right now. Last month I was across the street flying a model glider with Joseph (4) and Charlotte (2). Our neighbour immediately across the road came down his driveway with a monkey wrench in his hand slapping it on his other hand and said 'get off my f***ing property. (We were on the nature strip between his house and his neighbour's). How do you love your enemy in those circumstances?
| | | Debbie Woods | 06/02/2008, 18:25 | | Loving God above all else is pretty tough for me due to the forces of society constantly pulling me in the direction of loving my self and abiding in myself and myself having full control. As for loving your enemies Mal, not easy, but I suppose it is a command along with all the other ones, such as do not lie or steal...
| | | David Wanstall | 14/02/2008, 20:28 | | Some really important comments. Loving people is about acting for their good (not just being nice) and when there are several people involved you have to take into account what is the good thing to do for all of them - takes wisdom including asking for it and being open to surprising alternative responses.
The trick about keepeing commands is not to focus on keeping the commands but to focus on becoming the sort of person who naturally keeps the commands - that is going beyond the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees that Jesus talked about in the sermon on the mount. I am planning that we will spend some time unpacking this sermon after Easter
| | | Chris Cass (Guest) | 24/02/2008, 11:45 | | This message reminds me to be a "Red Letter Christian" - someone who takes Jesus' words and really tries to apply those words in daily life.
There is one dictum from Jesus that I find particularly difficult: The one about having a party. He said, (paraphrased), "Don't just invite your friends to your parties, go and invite the misfits of society." I must be frank - I know very few misfits (homeless, invalids, poor, etc.). How can I invite them to a party if I don't even know them? This shows up just how far I am from living the way Jesus intends me to. And I really don't know how to go about changing that!
| | | Servant of GOD (Guest) | 24/02/2008, 11:54 | | before we can love ourselves or even love others we must first learn to love GOD. How do we love GOD? With the supernatural love that was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit when we got born again. This isn't like a human love that only holds true until things get uncomfortable. This love is supernatural which makes it unconditional. Its not based on how we feel or our emotions but is based purely on doing whats right. But how do we love GOD? By developing a daily relationship with him. Talking to him daily about our concerns...the GOOD, the Bad, and the Ugly. He already knows it anyway. He just wants us to be real with him. Be sincere and honest. Tell him how you feel, Be real. Just like you would tell your parents, or your best friend. Share your life with him. After you develop this relationship, loving yourselves and loving others will be easy because you will understand and realize that GOD will never no not never leave you or forsake you because he loves you unconditionally. Not because of what you've done or what you haven't done but purely because it is his nature and his nature alone to LOVE you. He proved it to us by giving his only son Jesus's life to pay the price for all our sin's even before we were ever born. All the other commandments hangs on the commandments of love. He's waiting on us even this moment to talk to him and be Real and sincere when we do. Afterall GOD IS LOVE. He is the very essence of what LOVE is defned as.
| | | David Wanstall | 01/03/2008, 20:51 | | The passage about not inviting friends is a classic example of Jesus teaching. The whole incident occurs in Luke 14:1-24 and needs to be read in that context. He doesn't say 'don't just invite your friends' in fact he says 'don't invite your ... brothers'. Does that mean Jesus is against family dinners? Jesus usually says these things to try and expose some hidden presumptions that he wants to challenge/change. With Jesus it is not about keeping these different rules (more strict than pharisees!!) it is about becoming the sort of person who does kingdom things without thinking - cleaning the inside of the bowl, letting your light shine (not straining to produce a few beams), being salt etc. Any thoughts on what motives Jesus might be getting at??
|
|
|
|
