Rachel Sanders - September 18, 2022
The Slow Work of God
The Slow Work of God Mark 1:14-15 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” “This impotence of “systems” is a main reason why Jesus did not send his students out to start governments or even churches as we know them today, which always strongly convey some elements of a human system. They were, instead, to establish beachheads of his person, word, and power in the midst of a failing and futile humanity. They were to bring the presence of the kingdom and its King into every corner of human life simply by fully living in the kingdom with him.” Dallas Willard 31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[b] of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Matthew 13:31-33 "Jesus made clear The Kingdom of God is organic and not organizational, it grows like a seed and it words like leaven: secretly, invisibly, surprisingly, & irresistibly." Os Guinness "Until a generation ago, not only was impact never used as a verb, but it was used almost entirely in negative contexts. Impact denotes concentrated force over a short amount of time, and the laws of physics dictate that most impacts are unpleasant. " Andy Crouch Influence = Investing intelligently & intentionally. “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
From Series: "A Better Story"
We love a good story! Something that captures our imaginations and takes us somewhere. Something that gives our lives meaning, context, and hope. Unfortunately, we often get so caught up in trying to write our own story that we lose our God-given purpose. We trade a life of eternal kingdom impact for the temporary and empty rewards of our own desires. In this series, we will lay down our story for a better story and be intentional about leaving a legacy of kingdom impact and purpose.
