Sunday 3 June 2007

Embracing Mars Hill

Ever since I came home from LA in May Ive been challenged to live by conviction and as a leader to lead in a way that I risk everything.

Today's conversation was called 'Embracing Mars Hill' (Acts 17: 16-34. The big idea was that The Vineyard is about finding Dionysius and Damaris. The challenge for those of us who travel this path that God has chosen for us is that we stop worrying about the Peters and the Martha’s and look for Dionysius and Damaris.

We have (the Church) taken on a maintain mentality even making that our goal, once we focus on maintenance we will have lost our way. Paul begins talking about his motivation
V16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. Action motivated by passion and distress. Paul is fueled by passion and distress. We become convinced that the proof of following Christ is isolation from Mars Hill when it should be the opposite.

We’ve learned how to talk to Samuel and Sarah and forgot how to talk to Dionysius and Damaris but I think its more that we are afraid that if engage in culture we will compromise who we are and what we beleive.

Expressing culture is not compromise, Ecc 3: 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
We need to be a community of faith that will awaken the dream that God has for that culture.

You see it’s not about compromise but its about people having an encounter with the living God who calls them to himself and longs to awaken the dreams of a community and I nation.

Elijah brought the fire among the people; He sends the fire to say He is among us. Is God here among us? where someone could have an encounter with Him? Is there any fire when we are present?
What do we bring to culture? Are we babblers or do we awaken dreams and bring influence? The Vineyard must be a community of faith who make known the unknown God to a world. You and I are called to be prophets of the unknown God.

Will we take the risk and have the courage to step into a city, a town named after a pagan god? Look for signs of God and talk in a language that calls people to God?

The best way we as the Vineyard can predict the future is to begin to create it. I was so proud and thrilled today to see so many people bravely come to the front to be commissioned to go and be the prophets of the unknown God.

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