Living on Mission and Ditching My Self-ish Kingdom

Living on Mission and Ditching My Self-ish Kingdom

We all live by rules of a kingdom. The question is: which kingdom – my kingdom or the Kingdom of God?

The rules of my kingdom are pretty simple. What do I want? What makes me happy? What gets me where I want to go? My kingdom is very self-ish.

Jesus is teaching us in Matthew 5 that the rules of His Kingdom are much different than people expect. The rules of His Kingdom go beyond external behavior. The rules of His Kingdom extend to the heart, the thoughts, and the motives. The rules of His Kingdom require us to deny ourselves and lay down our lives for others. His Kingdom is very self-less.

This week we’re talking about choosing love over lust. Love is the result of choosing the way of the Kingdom of God. Love is focused on others. Lust is the result of choosing my kingdom. Lust is all about me. It’s about what I want, when I want it.

Let’s practice Living on Mission by ditching our own self-ish kingdom and embracing His self-less Kingdom.

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission, Held to a Higher Standard

Living on Mission, Held to a Higher Standard

We all know that it’s wrong to murder. Even though that’s been pretty clear since Cain and Abel, God went ahead and wrote it down for Moses in the 10 Commandments. Not murdering became the standard and it remained the standard until Jesus came on the scene and raised the bar.

In our passage this week (Matthew 5:21-26,) Jesus tells His followers that not murdering is not enough. He expects more. He expects a lot more. He wants us to go beyond not murdering to reconciliation.

Yikes! That’s a tall order. Not murdering was hard enough (ask Cain,) but now you want me to go all the way to reconciliation?

People can do amazing things – but we are limited. We can’t see our own forehead (without a mirror.) We can’t make ourselves taller. We can’t stick a watermelon in our ear. You know what else we can’t do? We can’t reconcile a relationship while harboring anger/bitterness/rage in our hearts. If that stuff remains in our hearts we’re not meeting Jesus’ standard – He said we’d still be subject to judgment.

So, how do we meet Jesus’ higher standard? We are unable to do this in our own power. But check out Ephesians 4:31-32, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32) Kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness. Now THAT sounds like a recipe for reconciliation! It’s a recipe powered by the Holy Spirit. We must remember and embrace the love that purchased our forgiveness and allow that same power to work through us toward others. This is the heart of our mission.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and live according to a higher standard as people of reconciliation.

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission in a Bright and Salty Community

Living on Mission in a Bright and Salty Community

Salt is the best of all the condiments. It makes food taste better, it’s a crucial ingredient for perfect bread and sugar cookies, and you can even mix it with warm water and gargle it to help heal a sore throat. But wait, there’s more! It can also be used as:

•    Exfoliant and scrub

•    Fire extinguisher (I once put out a grease fire with it. Yes, I started the fire too. There were French fries and a phone call involved. Long story. Ask me later.)

•    De-Icer (helpful at this time of year)

•    About 13,994 additional cool and impressive things (according to the Salt Institute)

Here’s another important fact about salt: Salt does absolutely no good when it is kept safely in its container. In order for salt to be useful, it has to be applied to something – like French fries or a grease fire. In our scripture this week, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13)  Could it be that He was telling us that the salt isn’t of any value unless it’s applied where it’s needed?  How salty can salt be in the salt jar?

Jesus went on to say, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)  Light isn’t going to make much of an impact unless it is actually exposed to the darkness. If you light a candle in a room flooded with sunlight, you might not even notice it. It wouldn’t make a difference or add any value. BUT, if you light that same candle when the power goes out at night, you’ll be able to find your way around the whole room. Light is most useful in the darkness. This world can be a dark place, but even a little light looks very bright in the dark.

Bonus thought: (free of charge – you’re welcome!)

Have you ever put a single grain of salt on your food? Me neither! It always works out better if you sprinkle on several grains at the same time. In the same way, we’re not meant to go out into the world on our own. We’ll have a much bigger impact if we go out into the world as a community of salt.

Jesus wants us (all of us, POC community!) to be the salt He can apply liberally wherever needed – outside of the salt jar. He also gave us His own life-light to shine brightly in the darkness of the world. So…

Let’s practice Living on Mission and be a bright and salty community!

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission with the Kingdom’s Counterintuitive Call

Living on Mission with the Kingdom’s Counterintuitive Call

When I read this passage in Matthew 5:1-12 it gets more and more confusing. It just doesn’t make sense. It seems so backwards. It’s definitely counterintuitive. By the time I get to verse 10 I’m shaking my head like a cartoon character trying get their brain back into its place after it goes “TILT.”

Are these verses telling us how to obtain the favor of God? If I want to see God, I need to be pure in heart.

Are they providing a formula for getting what we want? If I want to inherit the earth, I need to be meek so I’d better run down to the MeekMart.

No, that’s not what these verses are all about. I think Jesus is demonstrating to us that the way of the Kingdom is not our way. In the Kingdom everything is different than the kingdom of the world we live in. It’s counterintuitive. If I want to lead in the world’s kingdom I have to fight and claw my way to the top, but in His Kingdom the leaders are serving others. Because of the way His Kingdom works, I will never find the satisfaction I long for by pursuing things/love/power—only my hunger and thirst for right standing with God (righteousness) will provide that.

The way of the Kingdom is counterintuitive.

We will never be pure enough in heart on our own to be able to see God. We’ll never be merciful enough to deserve God’s mercy or be good enough at peacemaking to earn our way into His family. We can’t do any of these things in our own power. We’re completely and utterly dependent upon the Holy Spirit to fill us and change us from the inside out.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and answer the call of the counterintuitive Kingdom.

Pastor Angela

Living on Mission with the End in Mind

Living on Mission with the End in Mind

Do you ever picture how your life will turn out? I have. I’ve always envisioned my life as “adventure filled.” Always. Since I was a kid. I’ve had some adventures for sure, but not nearly as many as I am certain I’m meant to have. I wonder why that is?

Hmmmm… Could it be that I’m not being intentional about doing adventurous things? Perhaps. (ha!)

I know me. I’ve become a creature of habit and routine. If I find something that works, I stick with it. I do it that way every time. This, you may be shocked to discover, does not lead to a great deal of adventure.

BUT I WANT ADVENTURE! (Meaningful, godly, adventure with a purpose, people – not crazy stuff like bungee jumping, cliff diving, or planning an Ocean’s Eleven style heist.)

If adventure is the end I have in mind, what do I need to do? For starters I’ll have to intentionally make time and plan for more adventure in my life. I’ll have to pursue adventure since it’s not beating down my door. I’ll have to participate when adventures present themselves. (No Ang, you can’t sit on the shore if you want to take a cruise. You’ll have to actually get on the boat.)

What is the end you envision? What is the end supposed to look like according to God? How do we get there from here?

Ultimately, I think it looks like the Kingdom of God. What happens in the Kingdom of God? All the good things! Jesus is King and is praised nonstop. God’s perfect will is always done. We become like Him because we can see Him as He really is – face to face. *insert too much awesomeness to list here* And BONUS - Jesus told us how to get there from here: 1) Pray for His Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10) and 2) Pursue the Kingdom above all else. (Matthew 6:33 NET)

Pray. Pursue. These are words of intentionality. Just as I need to intentionally plan and participate in order to bring more adventure into my life, we must all be intentional about pursuing the Kingdom every day. We can have glimpses of the Kingdom right here in this life. Schedule time with Him every day to find out what He’s up to in the world around you and then join Him in that work! If we fail to do these things because we fall into busyness, habits, and barely-keeping-the-wheels-on-life routines, our days and our lives will just slip away with Kingdom dreams unrealized. So let’s be intentional.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and tackle every single day with the end in mind.

Pastor Angela