Greater Reward - Run to Win

Last week we talked about how the Greater Reward in life is found when we choose what we want most over what we want now.  We become more of who God created us to be, and who we want to be, when we make that choice, but making that choice is not easy.  Even if we can make it for a while, what often happens is that our discipline and willpower fade and we fall back into old habits and give in to selfish and unhealthy desires.  I can only walk by that Halloween candy dish so many times before I start to dig in.  

Change is not easy.  Whether we want to change and improve our spending habits, our diet, our relationships, or our faith, change and growth is not easy, but changing our identity can be a good first step.  If I can see myself as a child of God, someone who has been forgiven by Jesus and filled with the power of God’s Holy Spirit, then I can begin to step out of a cycle of failure and into a cycle of freedom and faith.  Seeing myself as a child of God can help me choose the right thing and grow in my faith.  Identity is a good place to start, but a new identity alone will only take us so far.  Something more is needed and it is the Apostle Paul who shows us what we need.  Writing to the people of Corinth, Paul says,

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  1 Corinthians 9:24-25.

Run to win.  In every area of life we need to run to win.  I remember the very first 5K race I entered.  I had been running for about 4 months and I told my friends that I had two goals.  I wanted to finish, and I wanted to run the whole thing and not have to stop to walk.  I got a few friends to run with me since I told them I wasn’t going to be competing, but something happened when the gun went off to start the race.  I ran to win.  Now let me be clear, I wasn’t running to win the race - that was never going to happen.  I was running to beat my friends.

When I met them at the finish line - yes I beat them - all I could say was that when the gun went off I felt this burst of competition rise up in me.  I wanted to win.  Since I had never competed in any kind of sport, this was new to me, and while I felt bad that I left them behind, I wasn’t that sorry.  It felt good to run to win.  

Some people think that being a Christian and being competitive don’t go hand in hand, but never forget that our Savior is the One who emerged victorious over sin and death.  On the cross He utterly defeated Satan, opened the gates of hell, and then told us that in Him we are more than conquerors.  Whether it is in life or faith, there is nothing wrong with running to win, and those who first heard these words understood exactly what Paul was talking about.

Paul was writing to the people of Corinth, which sat just to the south of the Isthmus of Corinth.  The Isthmus of Corinth is the narrow strip of land that connects the Peloponnese Peninsula to the mainland of Greece, and what is important about this area is that in Paul’s day it was known for the Isthmus Games.  The Isthmus games were held the year before and after the Olympic games and they included sporting events like boxing and running but also equestrian events, chariot racing, and even poetry.  Some historical records place Paul in Corinth while the games were being held, so when Paul talks about running to win, everyone would have known what he was talking about.  

We can also understand what Paul is talking about.  We live in a competitive society.  We start a business to be successful.  We invest in the stock market to make money.  And yes, we have a pretty competitive nature when it comes to sports and our favorite teams.  So there is nothing wrong with looking at our lives and our faith as if we are an athlete setting out to win the race.  

So let me ask you, are you winning?  Are you running to win?  Are you making progress, feeling a sense of purpose in all you do, and experiencing the greater reward of a life being lived to the fullest?  

If we are not feeling this way, why aren’t we winning?  Why aren’t we running to win? While there might be many reasons for this, the author and pastor Craig Groeschel provides this interesting insight.

“We aren’t winning because we have been trying for too long.”  

We try to be more faithful.  We try to be more loving.  We try to be more patient.  We try to spend less and save more.  We try to be better parents, better students, better employees.  We try to be more balanced with our time, more intentional in our serving, and more kind in our conversations.  We try to eat the right things and get in shape.  If we are trying over and over again and not seeing anything change, maybe it’s time to stop trying and start training.  Paul not only tells us to run to win but to be disciplined in our training, not our trying.  

There really is a difference between trying and training.  When we try something we give it a shot and invest minimal commitment.  We often try something with the assumption that we will fail or not like it.  As kids, how often were we told to try something at dinner.  It was always something we knew we wouldn’t like so we would put the spinach or brussel sprouts into our mouths convinced that we would gag.  People still ask me to try brussel sprouts, or try them with bacon, and while I might try them, my heart isn’t in it.  There just isn’t enough bacon to cover up the taste of the brussel sprout.  Trying something doesn’t lead to consistency because we just go by our feelings.  I didn’t enjoy it, I didn’t like it, and I’m not going to try it again.  

Training, however, is very different.  When we train for something we go all in.  We have made a commitment to a clear set of goals and so we plan strategically and work for results.  Training calls for courage and commitment because we are going to keep going even when it gets hard.  We don’t follow our feelings but act according to our commitments.  

The word that Paul uses for someone who goes into training is the word: agonizomai which is where we get the word agony.  Training is going to be difficult.  It’s hard work, but it is the hard work that brings big results.  Trying takes minimal effort, but training calls us to be committed and all in and it is training that is effective and leads to the outcome and life we want.  

But training is also something that takes place one small step at a time.  You don’t train to run a marathon by going out and running 26 miles the first day.  Once you decide to run a marathon you might go out and run a mile.  You might only be able to run a quarter of a mile and then walk the rest, but your training has started.  Here is a good definition for training: doing what we can do today so that we can do more tomorrow.  

This is how athletes train.  They do what they can today which allows for them to do a little bit more tomorrow.  There are times they might have to push themselves and test the limits of what they think they can do, but training is done one step at a time.

If you want to get out of debt, you do it one purchase at a time.  You pay off one credit card at a time.  You make one choice and take your coffee to work instead of stopping at Starbucks or Dunkin and spending 2 or 3 dollars a day.  We dig out of debt one purchase, one choice, one step at a time.  Training in relationships takes time.  You spend a little bit more time listening than talking.  You forgo what you want for what someone else wants.  You create the time and space you need for conversations and activities today that will bring health for your family tomorrow.  

Spiritual growth and training also takes place one step at a time.  If we want to be more like Jesus, we start by simply spending more time with Jesus.  We read one chapter of a gospel every day to see who Jesus is and what He does.  We give God 5 minutes of silence so He can talk to us and then, as we learn to hear His voice, we can easily give Him 10 or 15 minutes.  If we want to grow in our prayer life, we might start with a prayer at the dinner table, or in our small group, and it grows from there.  

If we want to live more sacrificially then we find one simple way to serve or give and then we let that single act grow.  Like anything else, there will be times when this kind of training will push us and make us uncomfortable, but step by step we grow and change and find the strength to be the people God created us to be.  

When we try, we are just hoping that we might become something more, but when we train, we are working to become who we already are.  Let me say that again, when we train, we are working to become who we already are.  This is why identity is so important and has to come first.  If we see ourselves as God sees us, then we are training to become who we already are, not who we hope to be.  So who are you?  

Last week we heard that all of us are children of God.  We are called, and chosen, and more than conquerors.  We are loved and forgiven and filled with the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  But beyond all of that, who are you?  Are you a Godly parent?  Are you a financially responsible person?  Are you a servant in the community?  A spiritual leader at home?  Are you a warrior?  A peacemaker?  Who are you?  Claim that identity and then train for it.  No one goes to the Olympic Games without seeing themselves as an athlete, and then as an athlete, they train and compete to win.  

When we think about training, it’s important to understand that no one trains alone.  All athletes have coaches and trainers and teammates.  They all have someone who will pick them up when they fall and encourage them when they are ready to quit.  The book of Ecclesiastes, which is a book of wisdom, talks about how important it is to not train alone.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

While we love to read this verse at weddings, what this is talking about is having a trainer, coach, or teammates supporting us in life.  It’s telling us that if we are going to run to win, if we are going to experience the greater reward of a life of faith and power, we need someone to walk with us. Who is your coach?  Who’s on your team?  

Earlier this year we started training a group of spiritual coaches who can walk with others in life and faith.  I’ve asked Pastor David to share with us what these coaches and this ministry has to offer.

Pastor David sharing about Spiritual Coaching.

If you are ready to stop trying and start training in your faith, reach out to David and see how a coach can help you.  

There is one final thought that is important to remember when we talk about the hard work of training.  We don’t train to earn God’s favor.  Salvation is a free gift from God given to us through Jesus Christ.  We are forgiven and redeemed by the grace of God alone.  We don’t train in life or faith so that God will love us more - God already loves us unconditionally.  

We train because we want more of the life God has given us in Jesus.  We train because we want to experience the fullness of God’s love and grace that comes when we walk with Jesus.  We train because we are told that walking by the spirit and trusting in Christ alone will bring us all the fullness of life.  It’s important for us to understand that we don’t train to earn God’s love, we train because we are loved by God and we want to experience the fullness of that love.  

If you have found yourself always trying and never changing, never growing stronger, never experiencing what you want in life, maybe it’s time to stop trying and start training.  Go all in on loving God and loving others, and do what you can today so that with God’s help you can do even more tomorrow.  

Next Steps

A Greater Reward - Run to Win!

Do you see yourself as a naturally competitive person?  

In what areas are you competitive?  Games, sports, school, hobbies?  

In what areas of your life would you like to experience growth and change?  Finances? Relationships? Faith? Health? Career?  How have you tried in the past and failed?  

List three ways that training is different than trying:

1.

2.

3.

Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  

Paul was writing to people who understood the power of competition.  

● What does this teach us about training? 

● How can training in sports help us learn how to train in our faith?

Everyone needs support.  Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

● How have coaches, friends, and teammates helped you in the past?

● Could you benefit from a spiritual coach today?

● How can you help coach and train others?  

If you are interested in getting a spiritual coach to help you train, contact David Carter: david.carter@bellefontefaith.com

And Remember: We don’t train to earn God’s love - we are loved by God unconditionally.  We train to live into who we already are in Jesus.  We train to experience the Greater Reward.  

A Greater Reward - A New Identity

Halloween was last Sunday and here is the conversation that I have with myself when it comes to buying candy.  I don’t want to buy too much because I don’t want a lot left over because I will eat it all.  But I don’t want to run out and have to turn my lights out before 8:00 PM.  I think about getting candy that I don’t like so I won’t eat what is left over, but I want to give out “the good stuff” which to me is always something with chocolate.  In the end, I buy too much of the candy I like so when 8:00 PM comes and the lights go out I have a bowl full of chocolate fun sized candy bars left over.  

When I walk by the bowl of extra candy the first few times I am able to say, no, I’m not going to eat the kit kat bar.  About the third time I pass the bowl I tell myself, they are just little candy bars.  They are even called “fun” sized so eating one won’t hurt, it will be fun.  It’s not that much sugar, and it won’t be that bad, so I eat one.  Now one fun sized kit-kat bar is what, 1⁄3 of a real kit kat bar?  So I justify that it's ok to eat one more before it would be a real candy bar.  So it’s one more kit kat , and then the third, and then in a day or two, the entire bowl of extra candy is gone.  

I didn’t start out to have left over candy or to eat the leftover candy.  I wanted to be disciplined and healthy, but one small step at a time I gave in and ended up feeling like a failure.  The very thing I didn’t want to have happen - happened.  What I didn’t want to do - I did.  None of us start out to fail.  No one gets married hoping that the relationship will end in divorce.  No one starts out to ruin their health or become an alcoholic.  No one sets out to be a drug addict or plans to go bankrupt or drown in debt.  But desire alone doesn’t determine who we become.  Just hoping for a better life won’t lead us to a better life.  Here is the harsh truth, desire and discipline will only take us so far because we know that at some point in time our willpower and self-discipline will let us down.  At some point I dig into the Halloween candy and end up eating it all.  

Now our failure does not have to be final.  We can start eating healthy again.  We can stop drinking.  We can dig out of debt and get our finances under control.  We might even be able to save our marriage and family.  We can learn from our failure and try harder and we should, but if you are at all like me, the problem with just trying harder is that at some point in time, we fail again, and again, and then we start telling ourselves we can’t change, we will always be this way, we will never rise above our weakness and sin.  

What we need to experience freedom and fullness in life isn’t more willpower, what we need is a new identity.  Identity really can make all the difference.  When we identify ourselves as a failure, we find ourselves trapped in a cycle that looks something like this:

And the cycle goes on and on.  When this is all there is, we might want to just give in and give up.  But this is not all there is, as a follower of Jesus, there can be so much more.  

One of the most powerful and faithful followers of Jesus that the world has known was the Apostle Paul.  Paul wrote ⅓ of the New Testament, he started churches throughout the Roman Empire, and Paul himself experienced first hand the risen Jesus.  We might think that Paul’s faith was so strong that he never struggled with sin and never saw himself as a failure, but here is what Paul said... 

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  Romans 7:15, 18-19

The Apostle Paul, God’s chosen leader, this powerful man of God said it well, the desire to do the right thing doesn’t work and even the discipline to do the right thing will only get us so far.  Paul went on to say…

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God’s law with all my heart.  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.  Oh, what a miserable person I am!  Romans 7:21-24a

Paul understood this cycle of sin and guilt and failure.  I want to do what is good, I try hard to do what is good, but I fail.  Desire and discipline alone don’t change me.  There is not the power within me to turn my life around.  I always end up failing.  I’m miserable.  Another translation says, What a wretched person I am.  

Once again, if this was the end of the story, we would all end up being miserable, because we would be caught up in a cycle of failure, but this is not the end of the story.  Paul goes on to say that what we need to experience the true power of life and faith is not behavior modification but spiritual transformation.  What’s needed isn’t to try harder but to tap into the power of someone who is greater than we are AND someone who doesn’t see us as a failure but as a child of God.  Paul says... 

Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.   Romans 7:24b-25a

Notice that the answer to our failure isn’t to try harder, it’s not to be more disciplined, it’s not even to get the help of all our family and friends, it’s to look to Jesus and draw upon the power of the risen Christ to change us from the inside out.  What sets us free to experience all the fullness of life isn’t behavior modification, it is spiritual transformation.  Paul understood that the key to real change isn’t more willpower but a new identity.  It’s not trying harder but knowing that when we belong to Jesus, we truly are a new creation and can step into new ways of thinking and new ways of living.  Paul said...

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  2Corinthians 5:17

We are not the sum total of past failures.  We are not just brokenness and shame.  We are not even who others think we are or say we are, we are who God says we are in Christ, and in Christ we are forgiven.  In Christ we are set free.  In Christ we are not just called by God but we are chosen by God and we are chosen to be part of God’s family.  We are children who have been made holy by the blood of Jesus.  In Christ we are not condemned but more than conquerors.  In Christ we are victorious because in Christ we can do all things and we can overcome all things because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us.  

The key to a better life isn’t to work for a better version of you, it’s to see the new you that you are in Christ Jesus.  The old is gone and all things are being made new.  We are who God says we are and God says that we belong to Him.  We Belong To God.

When we understand and take to heart our new identity, we step into a new cycle of living.  Instead of seeing ourselves as a failure, we begin to see ourselves as forgiven and set free.  When we know we belong to Christ we start living by the Spirit of God and we step into a new cycle that looks like this:

And then this cycle goes on and on.

Our identity can change everything.  Knowing that we are forgiven and loved, and knowing that we are children of God can set us free to live a new way, and choose new paths, and find the strength of the risen Jesus to do what we never thought we could do.  A new identity helps us live a new life and Paul tells us one way to do this.

Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  Galatians 5:16 (NIV)

The verb walk here is in the present tense, which means it is a continuous walking.  It is a daily walk.  It’s forming habits where we allow God into our hearts and lives on a regular basis so that God can shape us and form us on the inside and it is this new identity that leads us into the right paths of living.  These can be simple habits like reading a few verses of the Bible every day, keeping a gratitude journal of what we are thanking God for every day, or simple prayers every day.  Any and every spiritual practice that we incorporate into our daily lives helps us walk in the Spirit of God and see ourselves as children who belong to God.  

A new identity can help us live a new life and experience a greater reward.  The more we walk by the Spirit of God, the more we will be able to choose what we want most over what we want now.  And when we make that choice, when we choose what we want most over what we want now, we find a better life and a greater reward.  

As we enter into a season of thanksgiving, as we prepare for the hectic, and at times difficult season of Christmas, don’t trust in your own desire and determination to see you through.  Don’t lean on your own willpower and discipline to live the way you want to live, see yourself as a new creation. Tell yourself every day that you are a child of God.  Tell yourself every day that you belong to God and therefore the power of the risen Christ is in you to make you who you want to be.    

Next Steps

Greater Reward - A New Identity

When have you gotten caught up in this cycle of failure?

What is it like to change your life through discipline and willpower alone? How does this shape your identity?    

In what ways does the Apostle Paul tell our story in  Romans 7:15-25.  

Choosing what we want most over what we want now calls for spiritual transformation not behavior modification.  

Knowing we belong to Jesus, helps us step into a new cycle of living:  

What are some ways you can find your identity in Jesus?  

Spiritual transformation and a new identity can be found by walking daily with Jesus.  Galatians 5:16

What is one way you can grow closer to Jesus or walk with God’s spirit this week?  

How can both praise and thanksgiving help shape a new identity?  How can giving thanks daily or a gratitude journal draw you closer to Jesus?  

I'm INfluential

 We are in a series called I’m IN and so far we have heard that God INvites all of us to be part of His family.  No matter where we have been, or what we have done, or what we are struggling with today, God invites us to be part of His family.  In fact, Jesus often invited the people that others rejected, which tells us that everyone is welcome into the family of God.  We are invited!  Are we willing to go all in and respond to that invitation?  

We are not only invited to be part of God’s family but we are an important part of God’s work in the world because God sees us as INvaluable.  Each and every one of us is uniquely gifted, and our own personal history, experience, and perspective is needed for the church to be effective.  Together we are the body of Christ and each and every one of us is invaluable and needed for the body to be strong and healthy.  Are we willing to go all in and use our gifts for God’s work and mission in the world?  

I know that for some people, just saying that we are going all in might be a challenge.  Maybe you are still trying to figure out who Jesus is and who you are in relationship to God so the thought of going all in is overwhelming.  I want you to know, that’s OK!  All of us still have a place in God’s family and we are all welcome in God’s church as we work through and grow in our faith.  The goal of this series is to help us see that we really are invited into God’s family and that we are an invaluable part of the body of Christ.  If we can begin to see these things and take them to heart, we will be able to live out our faith with more confidence and courage.  It is knowing and trusting that we are invited and invaluable to God that motivates us to go all in.  

So, are you willing to go all in with what you have today?  Maybe that means going all in and asking God to help you see yourself the way He does.  Maybe it’s taking one more step of faith, or maybe it is surrendering all you have and all you are to God.  Wherever you in faith today, together let’s go all in.  We are…. ALL IN.  

Today the goal is to help us see how INfluential we are to God’s kingdom and glory.  My guess is that most of us don’t see ourselves as a big influencer because we define an influencer as someone who has millions of followers on facebook, youtube, instagram, and tiktok.  If an influencer is only a celebrity with a huge social media platform, then none of us are influencers, but let’s redefine what it means to be an influencer.  Let’s not talk about influence in the context of any kind of social media platform and instead talk about people.

Influence is all about people and we all have people in our lives.  No matter who you are, you are an influencer today because there are people in your life.  You can be influential to God’s kingdom and God’s glory because you touch the hearts and lives of the people around you.  You may not think that you make a difference in someone’s life, but you do.  You are influential.    

The truth is, none of us have any idea how just one conversation, one word of encouragement, or one expression of love can change someone’s life.  But just reflect on your own life for a moment.  Most of you are here today because one person reached out and invited you to Faith Church.  Maybe you saw a post on a friend's facebook page and you checked out our online worship.  You are here today because of the influence of others.  

Many of you are a follower of Jesus today because of the influence of others.  When you were growing up there was someone who took you to church, or there was a Sunday School teacher who told you over and over again how much God loved you.  Maybe there was a youth leader who saw potential in you, or a friend who invited you to  youth group.  In college there may have been someone who invited you to a Bible Study or a spiritual retreat.  When it comes to our faith, we are all here because someone who had experienced the love of Jesus shined that love into our lives. God simply calls us to do the same thing and have the same kind of influence.  

In Matthew 5 Jesus said, you are the salt of the earth.  Now salt can purify things, it can preserve things, and it can add flavor to things.  Salt influences everything it touches and somewhere along the line, someone’s faith, love, and life touched you and influenced your relationship with God.  

Jesus also said, you are the light of the world and again, somewhere along the line someone shined the light of Jesus into your life and showed you who God was, or what God’s love was all about.  All of us are here today because of the influence of at least one person, most likely we are here because of the influence of many people.  

I have been thinking this week about how I ended up here, not as the pastor of Faith Church, but as a follower of Jesus.  There are a whole host of people who have influenced my life and faith.  There were my parents and grandparents who took me to worship when I was young.  There was Mrs. Mack, my youth choir director, who loved us and helped us identify and use our gifts in the life of the church.  There were Sunday School teachers and youth leaders who loved me and were patient with me.  All of them have been influential in my being here today.  

There was also a string of people who helped me dig deeper in my faith during college.  I have shared this before, but during the fall term of my freshman year at MSU I felt pretty lost and alone.  I didn’t know anyone in the state of MI, let alone anyone at MI State, and I was going through a difficult time.  It was in the midst of that struggle that a friend of mine from High School sent me a letter that told me to check out IVCF.  I got that letter immediately after walking by a sign advertising the IV chapter on campus but I thought IV had something to do with sports so I walked right by.  

I went back to the sign and met Gary and Ruth Abbot, who invited me to the large group meeting that just happened to be that night.  I went to the meeting and met many people from my dorm complex who invited me to join a Bible Study. In that Bible study I met a man named David DeGraf who shined the light of Jesus into my life.  Dave showed me that following Jesus could be an adventure and that abundant life was found only in Christ.  

I am here because of the influence of Dave DeGraff, but I wouldn’t have met him if it hadn't been for the influence of Gary and Ruth, and I wouldn’t have met them if it had not been for the influence of my friend Cindy.   But why did Cindy write me that letter?  I hadn’t talked to her or told her how I was struggling.  How did she know?  

Cindy knew because her mother told her, and her mother knew because my mother told her.  But why did my mother tell Cindy’s mother how I was doing?  Because Cindy’s mother asked.  That’s it.  She asked.  One question, one conversation, one word of encouragement changed my life.  It was the influence of Clara Ball, my friend’s mother, who not only cared enough to ask my Mom how I was doing but cared enough to share my situation with her daughter so she could encourage me, that changed my life.  I can guarantee you that Clara had no idea the influence her expression of love had in my life.  She was just living out her life and faith.  She was just being the salt and light Jesus calls us to be.  

We all have this kind of influence because we all have people in our lives and if we are willing, we can use this influence to point people to Jesus and over time, change their lives.  And once again, it doesn’t matter who we are, what we have done, how we have lived, or what we are going through today, God sees the influence we have and He wants us to use it for His glory.  

In the gospel of John we read about a woman who was truly influential in spreading the glory of God and she would have been considered the least likely person God would use for this purpose.  The setting of the story is Samaria, a region that most Jews avoided because Samaritans were looked down on by the Jewish people.  Samaritans were people whose background was half Jewish and half Gentile, and so for many generations the Jewish people simply avoided the Samaritans at all costs, but Jesus chose to travel through this region on His way to Galilee.  

While in Samaria, Jesus got tired so He stopped to rest at a well.  He sent the disciples away to get some food and a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water.  It’s important to know that it was about noon when the woman arrived and she arrived alone.  What this tells us is that the woman was an outcast in her own community.  Women would have travelled to get water in the morning when it was cool, and they would have travelled in pairs or groups, so for this woman to be alone at noon, Jesus knows that she is an outcast and rejected by her own people.  

But we heard a few weeks ago that Jesus invites people that others reject so He reaches out to her by asking her for a drink of water.  This completely shocks the woman.  The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”  Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”  “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?  John 4:9-11 (NLT)

The woman is not only amazed that Jesus is talking to her, but she sees something in Jesus that makes her want to go deeper and find out about this living water.  Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”  “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” 

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.   “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.  Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”   John 4:16- 18. (NLT)

Imagine how the woman must feel at this point.  She is amazed that Jesus knows everything about her, so He must be some kind of prophet or holy man, but more importantly, this prophet or holy man is talking with her!  He’s known all along who she was, and how she was living, and who she was living with, but Jesus didn’t cast her aside or judge her.  He has treated her with dignity and honor.  Jesus sees something in her that no one else sees, a child of God who is worthy of God’s living water.  This expression of love changed her life.  

The woman immediately went home and told everyone she knew about Jesus.  She not only told them about a man who knew about her entire life, but how he was willing to talk with her and offer her living water.  Could He be the Messiah?  She simply told the people in her life what she knew and what was touching her heart.  She was simply salt and light and used her influence for God’s glory.  

The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,  “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”  So the people came streaming from the village to see him.  John 4:28-30(NLT)

This woman is one of the first Christian influencers.  She has simply told her story to others and used her influence to bring others to Jesus.  Her influence has made a difference and is giving God glory.  Her influence is so powerful that Jesus stayed in Samaria several more days and changed many more lives.    

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days,  long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.  John 4:39-41 (NLT) 

This woman’s story tells us that everyone is invited into the family of God.  None of us is beyond the reach of God’s love and grace.  This woman’s story also tells us that we are all influential.  We can all be salt and light by just living our lives and sharing what we know about Jesus.  You don’t have to have a platform with millions of followers to be an influencer, you simply need to reach out and love people with the love of God.  Let the light of Jesus shine in your life and then let that light touch the lives of others.  

This woman’s story also tells us that we don’t have to have our life all together to be an influencer.  We don’t have to have a seminary degree.  We don’t need to be able to quote the bible or pray deep theological prayers.  We just need to know the love of God and be willing to shine the light of that love in the lives of others.  You just need to love God and love others.  You just need to share who you are and what you know of God’s love with the person in front of you today.  It does take courage to be influential.  It’s risky to shine the light of Jesus in this dark world, but if we will take the risk it can change everything.  

Take a chance this week and be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  Take a chance this week and let the love of God shine through your life in all the little things you do.  Take a chance this week and engage in one conversation, give one word of encouragement, or share one act of love that can change someone’s life.  That might just be the moment that will not only change the path of someone’s life, but just might change the world.  Are you in?  Don’t let the world define what it means to be an influencer, see yourself as an influential force for God’s kingdom and God’s glory.  

 

Next Steps

I’m INfluential

Who are the people who influenced your faith?

Who was influential in getting you to Faith Church?

“You have no idea how one conversation, one word of encouragement, or one expression of love might change someone’s life.”  

● When has one word or one act influenced your life?  

● When have you seen one word or act change a situation for the better?

What did Jesus mean when he said you are the salt of the earth and the light of the world?  What does this mean for you?  

Read John 4:1-42

● Name all the ways that Jesus shows us that this woman was both invited and invaluable?  

● How did she use her influence for God’s glory?

● Why do we struggle to see the influence we might have in the lives of others? 

● What is holding you back from being influential for God’s glory?

How can you shine the light of Jesus this week and influence just one person in your life?  

What one word of encouragement can you give someone this week?

What one expression of love can you show someone this week?  

Ask God to help you see yourself as an influencer and show you where you can make a difference.  

I'm INvited

When I was in elementary school, someone asked me what my favorite class in school was.  My answer was lunch.  I know, lunch is not a class but it was my favorite part of school.  I can tell you what my least favorite class was all through school, gym.  I wasn’t athletic, I didn’t know anything about sports, and I was overweight, so gym class was a nightmare.  The worst part wasn’t when we had to play games or climb the ropes for the physical fitness test, it was when they would choose teams.  It didn’t matter who the captains were, the same kids were always chosen first and I was always one of the kids chosen last.  There is nothing worse than watching the entire class go to one side of the gym or another and you are left standing in the middle.  I can still feel the embarrassment of knowing that I just wasn’t good enough to be chosen first, or second, or even 15th.  

If you have ever felt left out, if you have ever felt ashamed or unworthy because you weren’t good enough to be chosen or invited, then I want you to hear one of the greatest truths of the gospel. Jesus invites the people that others reject.  Jesus welcomes and includes those that others overlooked, and those that society and religion often turned away.  Jesus invites everyone into God’s family.  You are invited into God’s family.  No matter who you are or where you have been or what you are struggling with today, you are invited into the family of God.  Jesus invites you in.

In Luke 7 there is an amazing story about Jesus inviting into God’s family someone that everyone else would have turned away.  It takes place at a dinner that Jesus was invited to at the home of a Pharisee named Simon.  As a Pharisee, Simon would have only invited into his home esteemed religious leaders and teachers of the law who were above reproach, and as part of the meal there would have been deep theological conversations about the topics of the day.  Simon’s neighbors and people from the community would gather around the open doors to listen to what was being said as a form of entertainment or enlightenment.  There was no TV or netflix or sports to watch, so people would gather to hear the leaders debate and discuss important topics.  

Into this gathering of invited guests came someone who was clearly not invited.  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:37

Let’s be clear, the woman who crashed this party and came to Jesus was a prostitute, that’s what Luke means when he says that she led a “sinful life”.  While we don’t know anything more about her, it’s safe to say that she hadn’t chosen this lifestyle.  Maybe she had been rejected by her husband, or family, and been forced to sell her body to survive?  Maybe she was a widow with no one to take her in, or a woman who had always been used by the men around her and rejected by the women.  

We don’t know how she ended up here but we do know that everywhere she went, people looked down on her.  The women would have excluded her from most activities, and the men gathered at the table that night would have walked to the other side of the road to avoid her.  Every day she got the message from those around her that she wasn’t good enough and that she was not invited.  She had not been invited to the dinner but she crashed the party and worshipped Jesus.

That’s what we see taking place in this emotional scene.  The woman takes her most valuable possession, a jar of perfume, and pours it out on Jesus' feet.  Perfume was rare and expensive.  This jar could have been her nest egg for the future, it could have been what she used to wear around town to let men know she was available, and it could have been given to her in payment for her services in the past.  No matter where she got it, it represents her entire life, past - present - future, and she gives it all to Jesus.  In a posture of worship she gives all she has to Jesus, she empties herself at His feet.  

Not only has she given all she has, she also empties herself emotionally.  She is so overcome being in the presence of Jesus that she not only weeps at His feet, using her tears to wash away the dust and dirt, but she then takes down her hair to dry them.  Women would not have been seen in public with their hair down, so for her to untie her hair in front of all these men and use it as a towel shows how swept up she is in her worship of Jesus.  She simply cannot contain her love and devotion for Jesus.  She has come to Him longing for love and peace and a new life.  

It is a stunning scene of worship.  We could ask ourselves what this kind of worship might look like in our lives today and how we could, or maybe should, give all we are and all we have to Jesus, but for Simon and the others at the table - they were asking - what is going on?!  This is not right!  Not only had a woman invaded their space, but a woman the entire town knew was a sinner had just poured herself out at Jesus' feet, and Jesus allowed it to happen.  Simon, the host of the dinner, is deeply offended by all that has taken place and he thinks to himself that if Jesus was a prophet, or even a good religious person, He would have stopped this woman from making a scene.  Luke 7:39

Then the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”  

What Simon and the rest of the Pharisees were thinking is that Jesus should have known she was a sinner and that sinners were to be rejected, shamed, and tossed aside.  They were not welcome in God’s family, they were not welcome at this dinner table or any dinner table.  That’s what they were all thinking and Jesus knows it, and this is how he responds.  Luke 7:44-48

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”  Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Her sins were forgiven.  Jesus didn’t judge her, condemn her, or shame her.  He forgave her.  He is the one washing her clean and giving her the chance at a new life.  The one others rejected is the one Jesus invited.  To all who feel unworthy, Jesus says, you are loved and you are invited into the family of God.

One question that I never stopped to ask before was why this woman risked so much to crash the dinner party and come to Jesus?  What caused her to enter into a room filled with people who would have shamed her and mocked her and rejected her?  What caused her to bring with her all she had and pour it out on Jesus?  What caused her to humble herself and repent in such a powerful way?  There really is just one answer, she had either seen or heard about God’s amazing grace and powerful love found only in Jesus.  

Maybe she heard about Jesus from a friend?  Maybe she heard the message of Jesus herself and it found its way from her ears to her heart?  If that’s true, what could that message have been?  While we don’t know, we can look at a parallel story in the gospel of Matthew that might tell us what that message could have been.  

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Maybe it had been earlier in the day when this woman heard Jesus issue the invitation, come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Maybe all day she had been hearing that simple invitation to come to Jesus to find rest and realized that is exactly what she needed and wanted more than anything in this world.  Come to me.  You are invited.  You are forgiven.  

Come to me is still the invitation of Jesus.  

Come to me if you are feeling left out, unwanted, and ashamed.  Come to me if you are tired of trying and failing and being ashamed.  

Come to me if you are wracked with guilt, if you find yourself trapped in a life you didn’t want and didn’t plan for.  

Come to me if you are empty and broken and brokenhearted. 

Come to me when you have nowhere else to turn and no one else to turn to.  

Come to me and find rest.  

You are invited into the family of God where you can find freedom and forgiveness and a love that will change your life.  

Come to me.  You are invited.   

It’s important for us to understand that what changed this woman’s life wasn’t having her sin pointed out to her.  It wasn’t that she was shamed and made to feel guilty.  Judging her didn’t change her.  What changed her was an invitation to come and experience God’s love and grace and peace.  What ultimately changes our lives and helps us experience God’s fullness and best for us is an invitation.  

Today, you are invited.  You are invited to come to Jesus and experience the power of His love and grace.  You are literally invited to be at this dinner table with Jesus where you can see and taste for yourself the grace of God.   

Come to Jesus and be forgiven.  

Come to Jesus and be set free.  

You are invited.  

Next Steps

I’m INvited

When have you felt unworthy?  Unwanted?  

How has being left out or not invited hurt you or someone close to you? 

Read Luke 7:36-38

● What things do we know about this “sinful woman”?

● In what ways does her jar of perfume represent her entire life: past, present and future?

● How is this scene an act of true worship?

● What can we learn about worship from her actions?  

● In what ways could we worship Jesus more personally and powerfully?

● How can we give Jesus our past, present, and future?

Read Luke 7:39-50

● Why does Simon think what he does?

● Why did religious leaders shame and avoid sinners?

● In what ways might we still shame and avoid sinners?  

● What was Jesus’ response to Simon?  

● What was Jesus’ invitation to the sinful woman?

● Who might need this invitation from Jesus today and how can we invite them in?

Read Matthew 11:28-29

(Both this teaching and the story of the sinful woman follow the story of Jesus meeting with followers of John the Baptist, so it MIGHT be this teaching that the woman heard.)

● How might this message have given the woman boldness to crash the dinner party and worship Jesus?

● What might “rest for the weary'' look like for you?

● What burden do you need to lay down to come to Jesus?

● Who needs to hear this invitation today and how can you share it with them?