2B WHAT CHANGES LIVES

17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Vision is an outpouring of God’s Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit which gives the direction of where we need to go and the empowerment to get there. But this journey takes place in our physical world. There are practical details to any journey. There are ‘how to’s’ to the vision. In the Old Testament, God gave Solomon a vision- it was to build the place where God would dwell among humanity. The vision was so grand, that even 3000 years later, we still call it ‘THE Temple’. So how did God have this vision carried out?

21 … for all the work on the temple of God… every willing man skilled in any craft will help you …"

How about in our time? What’s the big vision for our day? Surprisingly, it hasn’t changed. We are still called to build a temple. -Only now it’s a temple built of ‘living stones’, spiritually living people. So has the building principle changed? Not at all!

28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers…

From the beginning, God has called people uniquely fitted to their tasks. But here’s the bottom line: Talent is not enough. The best intentions are not enough. Even a calling is not enough. These things are essential, but they are not enough. Folks- there are churches failing all over this country with faithful pastors and members at this very moment. God has called ‘skilled workers’ to build His temple in every age.

skill is proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience.

Skill is more than raw talent. It is a trained talent. It is talent honed in expertise. From skills in teaching to church administration… we are obligated to be ‘skilled.’ So how do we do that? It starts with honest communication with God, but it doesn’t stop there. We can learn under others. Now, these people may not be more gifted, but have more training, and experience than we do. God has been working with them longer. And ‘skill’ never stops learning. No matter how long we’ve practiced our skill, there is always something to learn, things that might even revolutionize the way we do things.

Throughout Scripture, spiritual vision is always balanced by practical skill.

There is an absolute necessity for balance. …Now, that sets up another question…

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL VISION?

HOW DO WE GET IT?

HOW CAN WE BE SURE IT’S GOD’S VISION?

WHEN IS –LOOKING AT THE DETAILS- A POSITIVE THING? -A NEGATIVE THING?

To know that- let’s rethink the concept of balance from a biblical angle. We naturally think of balance as two opposing forces that counter each other- like two kids on a teeter-totter. Up or down, it’s one or the other. But Biblical balance is not one or the other; it is one through the other. It is one reinforcing the other. And that opens a profound implication: On a teeter-totter, if everything’s in perfect balance, there is no movement- everything is static. In spiritual balance, things aren’t static, in fact, they move faster and further. As one element strengthens the other it is an upward spiral.

Discipleship leads to maturity. Spiritual maturity means we have become stable. Children are inconsistent- one day they are absorbed in something, the next day it doesn’t matter. One time they’ll surprise you with their insight, the next, you’re sure someone’s dropped them on their head as a baby. They are not constant in how they respond, or even how they relate to each other.

Why don’t we permit children to marry? They aren’t ready for that level of unity. In the same way, a church cannot have the level of unity God promises until they grow out of spiritual childhood. Discipleship is the maturing process. As we grow up, we grow together. Discipleship isn’t an opposing element to fellowship, it is a reinforcing one. Sunday School and Wednesday groups aren’t in competition with things like –say- fellowship dinners. As we grow up through discipleship, the fellowship of the dinners becomes sweeter and deeper.

In the same way, commitment isn’t a hurdle for acceptance. Trying to please people with half-truths in entertainment or watered-down messages is not real acceptance. It’s fooling people. Real acceptance is exposing them to the full truth so that lives can be changed.

We are in the process of building something magnificent. We are in the process of building a place designed to change lives for all eternity:

5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house … through Jesus Christ.

In this building project, there is a Master architect. And His blueprint is perfect.

… ``See, I am sending Christ to be the carefully chosen, precious Cornerstone of my church, and I will never disappoint those who trust in him.'' (1 Peter 2:6, Living Bible)

Our construction experts tell me there are two main supporting posts in the old sanctuary. They are in effect, the cornerstones. Essentially, the whole building balances on these two posts. Should they fail for some reason, balance would be lost and the result would be the collapse of the whole structure.

We have the blueprints for a spiritual sanctuary. A place we can enjoy spiritual health and transformed lives. But folks, it will never happen unless we are willing to build… only if we are willing to build in balance, on His supporting posts. And the time to build is now.

WHAT IS GOD’S IDEA OF A BALANCED CHURCH… A BALANCED CHRISTIAN?

WHAT OTHER QUALITIES NEED BALANCE IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE?

HOW DO YOU FEEL BALANCE IS CONNECTED TO GROWTH?

IN WHAT WAYS COULD WE AS A CHURCH, AND AS INDIVIDUALS IMPROVE OUR BALANCE IN THE FUTURE?