Awesome.

You just made so many things fall into place for me. Thanks.

Ben

Great message.

I am wondering if some of the common "missional" talk, as good as it is, may not inadvertently contribute to the "for God" emphasis as well.

I am for a missional focus, but perhaps we need to be careful in how it is discussed.

Right on, Skye! Many times in my 40+ years in evangelicalism, I felt like I was constantly being prodded to be a "human doing" than a "human being" in communion with Christ.

So much of the preaching I heard over those years (though certainly not all) was very much like that which you describe of yourself urging us to do "for God." Being a "tool" in God's hands is cold comfort if it is not undergirded by a real and transforming experience of being the child of His love, desire and delight. Jesus kept bringing to mind that Scripture "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men to myself." It occurred to me that those times I found myself most empowered to live "for" Christ, were those moments when He, in the fullness of His love and beauty, came most clearly into focus for me. I found myself wishing that what was front and center every Sunday morning was Jesus Himself in His fullness (not a carrot and stick pep talk, as so often seemed to be the case). Even being told that the style and content of the worship service ought not to matter if my heart was in the right place subtly, or not so subtly, put the entire burden on me if I failed to make a real and empowering connection with Jesus in the corporate worship setting. I finally found what I needed in probably the last place I expected to find it.

Thanks, Skye. Your thesis really resonates with me. Two thoughts come to mind:

1. Many churches survive on members doing things FOR God, rather than seeking out where God is working in their neighborhoods/workplaces/spheres-of-influence and joining him.

2. In my own experience growing up, parental disappointment was a tool used for discipline and behavior correction. "I'm very disappointed in you" was a phrase used to spike the guilt sensation. Resolution and forgivenessusually followed, but the message was clear: when you make decisions, do whatever it takes to avoid disappointing us. Perhaps others had this kind of parental discipline applied to them, shaping how they view God's discipline and forgiveness.

Thanks Skye - if you look at Jn 15, Jesus' parable of the vine and his admonition, "Abide in Me . . ." Jesus is so clearly teaching us that ministry, "fruit", is not the goal of the Christian life but a bi-product . The goal is a life of abiding "with" God. Our problem is that because of our performance-orientation we keep turning bi-products (fruit) into goals (a life with God) !

Great piece - really appreciate you brother!

Thanks so much for this simple message. My christian friends often pressure me to DO more, but I know what God has asked of me; daily obedience and seeking of His presence. I get really discouraged sometimes, and question the way that I follow God. This video has served to remind me that He calls me, He calls all of us to be with Him, to love him and give him our time because we love Him. He is my father, and I, His daughter. He will never condemn me, He only waits for the prodigal to return with gifts and open arms.