Full Service

Dependency and usability—the Master’s touch!

The Originals

1. If you are to be used of God to receive Christ’s “catch” of people, you have to learn to depend on Christ absolutely.

He said to them, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (6; Lk. 5:4-10)

If you obey the Lord, He will cause your activities to succeed and you will experience His presence as well.

The Wounded Warrior

2. Caring for Christ’s catch requires: a) being moved from unresolved failure to God’s grace in healing, and b) from personal kingdom dreams to unconditional love for Christ.

“the smell of burning coals” (9; Jn 18:18)

“Bring some of the fish...” (10; Matt 4:19)

“Do you truly love me more than these?” (15; 13:36-38; cf. Matt. 26:33; Lk. 22:31-33f)

“Feed my sheep.” (17)

Christ moves us from our paralyzing preoccupation with our history and hurts so that out of them your “rejoicing heart” (16:22) will be usable to do the same for others.

The Rivals?

3. Mission can’t go forward until unhelpful comparisons and petty rivalries are no longer part of who you are.

“Follow Me.” (19, 22; Lk. 14:27)

“Lord, and what about this man?” (21)

Since Jesus dishes out the gifts and solely determines the seasons of our service, rivalries and comparisons are extremely distasteful to Him, and you will find yourself quickly squelched by Him should you choose so to engage.

The mission of the church isn’t about good technique or ministry savvy, nor is it fueled by guilty people shamed into service, nor can it thrive in an atmosphere of gift and assignment rivalries; it’s not about working harder or even smarter; the mission of the church is about Jesus and His gracious healing and our total dependency by faith on Him.

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