John Piper, in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, shares a story from his boyhood that had a life-changing impact on him. A church had been praying for a hardened man to come to faith in Christ for decades and decades. Finally, as an old man, he came to faith. Praise be to God for answered prayer! But the part of the story that Piper could never forget was seeing the tears of regret running down the man’s wrinkled face as he sobbed, “I’ve wasted my life. I’ve wasted it!”
No Christian man I know wants to waste his life. He doesn’t want his life to simply be a shooting star that burns out in a few moments of eternity; he wants his life to matter. He wants to get to the end of the race marked out for him and hear, “Well done” from the lips of Jesus. But we also know that in order to hear Jesus’ commendation for our mission, “Well done” we need to “well do.” We need to stay focused on it. As we saw last week a rudderless life is a wasted life. The starting point for connecting our mission from Jesus to our everyday lives is coming to the conviction that God’s design for Christ-followers is that our INNER PRIVATE world GOVERN our OUTER WORLD of activity. This episode looks at HOW to do that—how we can take charge of the rudder and shape our lives according to our mission And our model will be JESUS.
WHY DO MEN FEEL LIKE THEIR LIFE IS SO DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR MISSION? I believe there is an obvious answer to this question, though most of us haven’t thought much about it. The gap between our mission from Christ and our everyday life can only be bridged by INTENTIONALITY. We don’t default to planning to do a better job this week of meeting the needs of my wife’s heart. We don’t default to formulating a plan for how I am going to deepen my relationship with my kids or grandkids so that I can influence them to see that abundant life is in Christ. I don’t automatically default to thinking about how to build my relationships with the lost folks God has specifically placed in my life, so I can share Christ and his love with them.
Men know that in nearly every other sphere of life, to succeed we must plan. Game planning in football begins immediately after the films from the previous game are reviewed. All week the offense, defense, and special teams learn the game plan. Finding a job, going on vacation, getting the bills paid on time, going to the grocery store, how you will allocate your time at work, how to use your weekend free time—everything requires us to formulate a plan. So why would we make our spiritual lives an exception? This episode shows from many biblical perspectives why every believer who wants to live a life that honors Christ, must be intentional and not haphazard about his mission from Christ. As a mentor of mine, Pat Morley, used to say, “If we are going to beat the old man (sinful nature) in us, we are going to have to get organized to do it.”
Let’s think about this concept of intentionality a little bit before delving into the biblical support for it. To be intentional is to have a direction, a focus, a spiritual game plan, a mental awareness of where we intend to invest our energy and decision making. It is to rule LIFE, instead of allowing LIFE to rule US. It is being in control of our schedule, having a rudder for our raft. It is the opposite of the haphazard life that Christians today often fall into. It rejects being aimless, casual, disorganized, random, helter-skelter about the life God has entrusted to us. It eschews being careless with our stewardship of the precious gift we have to offer God in response to his love—our lives.
THE CASE FOR INTENTIONALLY SHAPING OUR LIVES TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION
A. Human’s are created to RULE not to be PASSIVE. This is clear in God's revelation to us about creation. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen 1:27-28).
God is the High King of Heaven, the ultimate RULER. Therefore, the ones bearing his image are created also to be rulers, to exercise dominion over the earth, to subdue it. As we’ve seen in other episodes this exercise of authority was limited by two caveats. 1) It was to bring out the God designed potential of every part of creation, not exploit it. 2) Human rule, even over our own heart desires and attitudes, must always be FOR God, i.e. exhibiting God’s holiness. King Adam and Queen Eve’s creation roles were to shape this world and the mutual interaction of the garden and its creatures (called culture) FOR the ultimate king. We were always created to master our heart desires, attitudes, and relationships—not let chaos, disorder, or neglect shape them.
B. The OT saints were repeatedly urged to contemplate how they were applying biblical truth to their life mission. The fruitfulness of Joshua’s life lasted to the fourth generation in his own family and the nation. Joshua was specifically commanded to keep aligning his own life mission and that of his nation with Scripture. Joshua was commanded to shape his game plan according to Scripture.
Be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Josh 1:7-8).
King David gives the same advice to all in Israel. Though we don’t know for sure who arranged the order of the 150 Psalms of Scripture, it is likely that Psalm 1 was put first through David’s influence. The starting point for life is to be constantly shaping our daily game plan to align it with Scripture.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away (vs 1-4a).
C. Jesus continually formulated a game plan to accomplish his mission.
- After Jesus returned from his wilderness temptation, to begin his ministry it appears that he intentionally headed north to Nazareth, his hometown, to proclaim in his hometown synagogue that he was the Messiah. Matthew tells us that Jesus’ “hometown identity” was part of his Messianic identity, what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene (Matt 2:23).
- Jesus appears to deliberately speak in parables to fulfill prophecy. All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world” (Matt 13:34-35).
- Jesus prayed all night and then chose twelve apostles (Luke 6:12).
- He sends out the 72 ahead of himself into every town where he was PLANNING to go (Luke 10:1).
- The location where Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am,” Caesarea Philippi, was not accidental. When Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,” Jesus responded that this confession of trust in Jesus as the Messiah who would conquer Satan and sin, would be the foundation of the church. Jesus went on "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” They were standing in Caesarea Philippi, the center of the pagan worship of Pan, believed to be the great God of the Underworld. Inside the cliff above their city was Pan’s cave, which was believed to house the gates to the underworld. Jesus was challenging his followers to press his kingdom of righteousness over the earth, chasing demonic powers back to hell (Matt 16:13).
- Luke tells us that when the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). This language not only shows Jesus’ intentionality; the use of this expression by the Gospel writers is a reference to Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah as the suffering servant in Isaiah 50. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting… therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame (vs 6-7). Jesus knew that his mission was to fulfill the role of the suffering servant in Isaiah.
- Jesus made arrangements to borrow a donkey to ride into Jerusalem to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy, Behold, your king comes to you, humble riding on a colt the foal of a donkey (Luke 19:30) on what we now call Palm Sunday. Jesus shaped his game plan according to the biblical description of his mission.
This brief fly over of Jesus’ three-year ministry reveals that Jesus constantly took charge of his life, guiding and shaping it according to the mission he was assigned by the Father. Now, we want to put on the zoom lens for a close-up look at HOW Jesus stayed focused on the Father’s mission for him in Mark 1:32-39.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for this is why I came." And he went throughout all Galilee, preavhing in their synagogues and casting out demons.
On Saturday night, sundown marked the end of the Sabbath, so the whole town of Capernaum made its way to Peter’s home, which was less than 100 feet from the synagogue. Earlier that day in the synagogue, the people had seen Jesus’ striking display of power in casting out an unclean spirit. Perhaps word had also gotten out about Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother-in-law just that afternoon. So, Mark tells us, “The whole city was gathered together at the door.” Luke tells us that Jesus laid his hands on every one of those who was sick, healing them. Finally, Jesus turns in for the night. But while he catches a few winks, many of Capernaum’s town folk excitedly head out in the dark to nearby towns to tell their sick or paralyzed aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends about Jesus’ miraculous healing power. Sunday morning (Jesus’ first day of the work week in that culture) was about to become more chaotic for Jesus and his disciples than Saturday evening had been! But incredibly, Jesus is nowhere to be found. In fact, even more incredibly, when the disciples do find Jesus, he says, “We are moving on to the next town.” What?
During the early morning hours in Capernaum, in those quiet moments of reflection with his CO, how did Jesus know that he needed to adjust his game plan and move on to the next town? How did he know that he needed to keep healing from getting in the way of preaching and focus less on healing? That is the decision that Jesus’ words conveyed. “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. We are not told how Jesus decided in prayer that he should move on to the next town to preach. But there is a logical explanation. Here are the words from Isaiah revealing the messianic job description, quoted by Jesus a few weeks earlier in his hometown synagogue: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18-19) These words from Isaiah picture total restoration—both spiritual and physical—where the curse upon Adam’s kingdom (earth) for his sin, causing sickness, pain, and death is reversed. Because the coming of Christ inaugurates his new kingdom of righteousness spreading over earth and the renewal of everything broken by sin, this renewal portrayed by Isaiah is both spiritual and physical. The Messiah exhibits both WORD ministry and DEED ministry—the WORD being the primary weapon in the spiritual battle. But equally important is the Messiah’s DEED ministry—demonstrating mercy to the poor, sick, & dying.
What does this detailed description of the Messiah’s mission have to do with Jesus’ prayer time in the wilderness outside of Capernaum? I believe he was wrestling with the balance of his WORD and DEED ministries--his Word ministry, preaching, his deed ministry healing. His healing Saturday night was not only an expression of the Lord’s love and mercy for those suffering; it also portrayed the kingdom Jesus was inaugurating—where all bodies are made whole. Nevertheless, Jesus changes his game plan, saying it is time to move on to other villages, and he adjusts his focus away from healing to preaching.
LEARNING FROM JESUS’ EXAMPLE
Jesus was not aimless, casual, disorganized, random, helter-skelter, or careless about shaping his life according to the Father’s mission for him. As he wrestled with the practical decisions related to his mission—whether to stay in Capernaum to heal or go to other towns primarily to preach--Jesus found a quiet time of the day and place, where he could shut out the world to reflect upon his mission with his Commander in Chief. In fact, this was the pattern of Jesus’ life. Later in Jesus’ ministry, after he had cleansed a leper, Luke writes, But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray (Luke 5:15-16). Jesus continually withdrew to a place where he could shut out the world, to reflect upon his mission, and undergird it with prayer. We know he undergirded his mission with prayer, because he taught us to undergird our mission to seek the reign of Christ’s righteousness by praying, May your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). We also know Jesus bathed his mission in prayer because he told us so. He said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Lk 22-31-32).
This snapshot of the sun rising over Jesus at prayer reveals Jesus modeling a foundational principle for his followers—the need to regularly find a time to get away to a quiet place and shut out the world to review our mission with our CO. We might say, “That’s great, but I can’t just get up from my job to go into the wilderness or shut out my busy family, especially since my wife and kids need MORE of me not LESS of me.” But what if God created this world with a designed cycle—to go hard for six days but then take a day to rest, reflect on our mission, reenergize, and refocus? God has called us to be stewards of the 168 hours he gives us each week. What if you invested just one of them--Sunday morning, afternoon, or evening to sitting with your Commander in Chief, looking over your mission for the upcoming week? Could Sunday be the place to steal an hour? Could looking over our mission be a part of the Biblical concept of REST? I praise God that back when I was a sophomore in college someone challenged me to start giving 60-90 minutes to the Lord on Sunday afternoon to focus on his mission for me. The specific time—Sunday afternoon—changed to Monday mornings, my day off, when I was a pastor, and to this day I only hit 50%. Yet, other than the daily habit of a quiet time, no practice in my life has proven more fruitful. I also see tremendous fruitfulness in others who adopt this practice!
Our creation calling to rule our lives, the OT teaching and examples of Joshua and David, and the striking example of our master constantly shaping his life according to his mission are weighty evidence for being intentional about our mission. To use another analogy, a ship without someone at the bridge steering it will be tossed, turned, miss its destination, and perhaps even capsized. We must invite the Admiral to meet us at the bridge to talk with us about his mission for us so we can chart the course we need for the upcoming venture. God is not glorified by rudderless, haphazard living.
So, why not steal an hour from your activities next week and give it to God to pray about your mission. We have a lot more to say in the podcast about what your agenda for that hour might be, but a quick starting place could be to remember that Christians are those who have answered Jesus' call, "Follow me."
- We are called TO him—to enjoy a love relationship with him. Would confessing the sins that get between you and him, soaking in his unconditional delight in you, praising him, thanking him be things to do?
- We are called TO BE LIKE CHRIST—to godly character. You might think through the trials of your life. They are usually an indication of the character God is seeking to build (loving the hard to love, being hurt and learning forgiveness, having a big bill and your faith in God's provision being tested, irritations that try your patience, etc.)
- We are called TO EXERCISE DOMINION for CHRIST—to accomplish his agenda in every role you fill as husband, father, grandfather, employer/employee, church member, steward of resources, citizen, ambassador of the kingdom. Which one requires a better game plan?
I want to close with the foundational principle of wisdom that this episode is seeking to promote. From Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet; or as the NIV says, Give careful thought to the paths for your feet. Then all your ways will be sure.
For Further Prayerful Thought
- How would you try to persuade another man that God’s intention for him is to shape his outer world attitudes and behavior according to the game plan he has constructed in his inner world in conversation with his CO?
- How would you defend the statement, “If you are not intentional about building a game plan to accomplish your mission on a regular basis, you won’t accomplish much of your mission?”
- What examples of Jesus shaping his mission stood out to you?
- How do you need to better implement God’s command in Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure?
