Monthly Archive for October, 2008

“Your Will Be Done”

Published
by
Mark
on October 22, 2008
in Teaching
. 0 Comments

In his powerful series “Pray Like Jesus”, Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle, preached a message that has changed me greatly.  The sermon in particular that I am referring to is “The Gethsemane Prayer”.  You can watch it or listen to it below:

VIDEO of Sermon

AUDIO of Sermon

Often times our prayers become very self-serving and we treat it like a way to get what we want, when we want it and if God does not obey our demands then He is mean and unfair.  But notice the principle that Driscoll brings up and a principle that shapes the prayer life of Jesus, “Your Will Be Done”.

Let’s be honest, it takes great faith and courage to close our prayers with “YOUR WILL BE DONE”.  It surrenders control and that is hard for many of us.  It leaves the answer solely upon the will of God even when we don’t like His answer or His methods.  It stretches our love for Jesus because we are essentially saying, Jesus I trust you and I believe you know what is best.  Even when your ways don’t make sense to me or you do not conform to my desires I want to SUBMIT to your will for me and I am ok with that. I dare you to pray like that!

I have been to many prayer meetings and prayed with many people over the years.  Some prayers literally leave me speechless, and not always in a positive way.  I’ve heard people preach to God as they scream and demand He answer them according to their agendas.  I’ve heard people pray forcefully manipulating God to do what they want.  I’ve heard people pray with words that are downright offensive and selfish.  Some yell and shout as if God is deaf and separated by millions of miles of universe.  But then there are those whose words flow from a humble and devoted heart.  These words honour the Holiness and Supremacy of God and respect His Sovereignty.  Words not said for show or given as a performance, but words that are honest and worship Jesus for who He is.

So take the time to hear this great sermon and may it change your prayer life as it did mine.

RE:VIEW - Released!

Published
by
Mark
on October 22, 2008
in Gospel Life
. 0 Comments

Pastor’s Journal Entry #3

Ministry is tiring and I can really see how it has the potential to kill.  Mark Driscoll once did a great series of teachings titled “Death By Ministry” and leading CityWest Church for almost 7 years now I can understand his perspective.  There were seasons over the past few years where I was so close to burnout that it scared me.  I slowly felt myself drifting into a numbness and a deadness inside that made me deaf to God’s voice, unmoved by the hurts and needs of others and totally disinterested with church and ministry.  When a pastor gets that way something has to change or he can do some serious damage to those around him.

But today I am reformed and Jesus has messed me up in a good way.  After some painful sessions of confession and repentance God stripped it all back and made me see what was really important.  It was a time of refining that eventually led to a confidence in my calling like never before and a renewed devotion to Jesus that empowers me to go on.  He has released me from all of the false expectations I placed on myself and for the first time in my life comfortable with who I am and who I am not.

You see, for many pastors there is a huge pressure to live up to some glimmering standard of perfection and to be the superman for the people.  Flying-in to save the day with all of the wisdom that alludes the ordinary person, to rise above the problems of life and be untouched by them and to be the definitive example of holiness on earth.  But what we soon discover is that pastors are ordinary human beings dealing with the same stuff a lay person would and not untouchable to life’s tragedies, trials and troubles.

There comes great freedom when Jesus deals with us in such a way that releases us from these unrealistic expectations and breaks us down to simply rely upon Him for everything.  I love that!  He is my life-source.  He is the air I breathe and without Him I will suffocate.  Jesus is enough for me.

Thankfully He dealt with me when He did because now as we are experiencing a beautiful move of God at our church I am prepared to handle it.  Sure I don’t have all of the answers and there are still moments when I scratch my head wondering what’s happening, but I am convinced and persuaded that Jesus is Supreme God, in control and He is our Senior Pastor who is building His Church.  I can now enjoy the journey and not just hold my breath until we reach the destination.  I can see His grace surround me and be thankful for what He is doing and not dwell on what I don’t see happening.

In closing I want to encourage you.  If you are a pastor I pray that your eyes will be focussed on Jesus and you will give Him complete and unhindered access to your ministry.  It is after-all His church, His people and His purpose.  He gave it and He can take it away.  Your identity is NOT in your ministry but rather in Jesus.  Be released and set free in Jesus’ Name and let Jesus lead you.

If you are one that feels life is chaotic and confusing then please stop for a moment, stop running and ask God a question, “God, who am I and why am I here?”  You’ll find His answer will set you free and give you hope.  You are not created to just survive and hold out for retirement.  You are made to thrive and live with Jesus in a way that makes your life count.  Don’t settle for average and empty.

Prayer: “Jesus, thank you for being our Saviour.  Without you life does not make sense and it all gets overwhelming and insane.  But you give balance, hope and meaning and you alone can save us.  May today be a day of release for many people.  A day in which they discover who they are in you and what this life is for.  Open up their eyes to see the beauty of it all and enjoy the evidences of your grace surrounding them.  Be glorified and honoured in everything as we live for you.  I love you Jesus and it is in your name I pray, Amen.”

RE:VIEW - Finding Balance

Published
by
Mark
on October 7, 2008
in Gospel Life
. 1 Comment

Pastor’s Journal Entry #2

As I look back at this past week or so I see myself battling with many distractions.  You know the feeling, it’s like you are busy running around but you don’t feel productive or that you are actually achieving much at all.  I sense a slight uneasiness within me as my mind is filled with so many thoughts and the pull to slow down, regroup and refocus is grabbing my attention.  So I sit down at my desk, relaxation music on and I need to blog for awhile and review.

In this season of my life a big balancing act for me is aiming to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, a loving and helpful husband to my wife Caroline, a supportive and loving dad to my four kids, a strong and compassionate bi-vocational church pastor, a great employee and whatever other role I am called to live.  But one area that is challenging for me is the fact that at this stage I need to work a part-time secular job and thankfully the church can support me for 2 days per week.  This is hard as each are full-time jobs in themselves.  My heart is for ministry and I long for the day when I can commit to pastoring CityWest Church full time.  But until that happens the balancing act continues.  So in the midst of this I have recently found myself being divided and pulled from one to the other.  My secular work demands a lot from me and the stress levels and responsibilities are far greater than my previous employment.  But the hours are flexible and I can shuffle them around quite a bit.  On the other hand my ministry is also very demanding and I have a long list of things I still need to get done such as entire training courses to re-do and finalize, greater focus on leadership training, running discipleship courses, people to meet with and pray for, sermon and series preparation and on and on it goes.  Now as the church is growing I am needing to spend so much more time working ON the church instead of just working IN the church.

This got me thinking that if I am to successfully navigate this season I need to learn the art of slowing down to be with Jesus, to gain my strength and peace from Him and find solitude with Him.  Through this I will be able to seek and find His wisdom on how to make this work.  I don’t want any area of my life to suffer during this.  My wife and four kids deserve my best, my church deserves my best, my employer deserves my best and so do the many others in my life.  But wouldn’t you agree that Jesus alone can make the hectic lives we live manageable and bearable?  I am assured that if I go to Jesus, stay devoted and live His way I will find the peace I crave.  Isaiah 32:17 (ESV) reminds us, “…the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” That verse simply says that as I stay close to God and live out of His righteousness and as I quiet myself before Him and trust that it is all in His hands I will find peace - it’s a peace that transcends all understanding.  Oh I feel it already!

Through it all, though not exactly how I’d like it, Jesus is teaching me that as I trust Him and give Him total control He gives me the ability to see the evidence of grace all around me.  His grace that is showered over my life, saturating me with His goodness can easily go unnoticed when I allow myself to get over-tired, over-extended, over-busy and over-complicated.  I am trying as often as possible to thank Jesus for His abundance of grace and instead of dwelling on the negative - which I do so well - I want to pause and force myself to be thankful and worshipful of His beautiful grace.  To not get stuck on the way I would like things to be but rather praise Him for the way things are and trust His Sovereignty.

Prayer:

“Jesus, you are enough for me.  I don’t need to add anything else to you or search for any other.  Thank you for giving me your best and enabling me to carry on.  Even when it’s tough I know you are stable and secure.  Even when I am out of control, you are solid.  Thank you for being my Rock.  I trust you.  I depend upon you.  I adore you.  I live for you.  I want nothing unless it comes from your hand.  If you’re not in it, I don’t want it.  You alone know what is best for me and what I need to fulfil what you’ve asked of me.  I pray that how I respond to life glorifies you and brings you great joy.  I love you more than life itself.  In your name I pray, Amen.“