Lost and Found Series

A series of inspiring and empowering talks aimed at encouraging folks to begin to step out in faith and their gifting’s to become all that they can be in God.

In this series we are going to look at how we can become empowered people in the things that God gives us to do.  We will be looking at:

Finding Our Zing!

Finding Our Voice

Finding Our Feet

Finding Our Grip

Finding Our Sight

Finding our Hearing

Finding Our Zing.

It happened when I was about 9 or so.  I had no idea that this was going to be the first time I was going to actually fail at something.  Now I had obviously failed at some things in my life, but this was going to be the first time I was told off for it.  It was a swimming lesson.  In those days our primary school took us to a local pool for lessons. 

It was a Victorian pool, no fun slides or Jacuzzis, just a 25 metre pool.  For some reason I had not connected that day I was going for my first swimming certificate.  I don’t know why but the message had not got through.  I was asked to come to the side of the pool by Mr Busk, my teacher, along with a girl called Mandy.  He asked her to get into the pool, about half way down, and swim to the end.  She did well, but did not make it.  She faltered after about 15 metres.  I was then told to get into the pool.  I did. 

But in my head I was thinking, “Just beat Mandy!”  So I start swimming.  Mr Busk starts to get excited.  He shouts, “Keep going, you’re doing well.”  I knew I had beaten Mandy.  As I can see the end of the pool coming I decided I had done enough and stopped, and being in the shallow end by now, stood up! 

Mr Busk like just goes nuts!  “Why did you stop?  Why did you stop there?!” 

I’d stopped literally inches from the end of the pool.  So I say, “I didn’t want to hit the end of the pool, but I beat Mandy!” 

He says, “Touching the end was the whole point, not beating Mandy!  You missed out on your certificate!  Now you’ll have to wait until next week!”

Why did I stop?  Why does anyone stop?

Genesis 11:27- 12:9

Here we have the account of Terah, Abram’s father, and Abram’s call.  Terah is told to leave everything and go and live in Canaan.  But he stops at Haran, and then settles there.

1.      Don’t Live at the Service Station.

We’re told that Terah settled at Haran.

Why?  Is there a family connection there for him.  Haran the place has the same name as Terah’s dead son, Haran, maybe there was some sentimentality about the place.

The earliest records of Haran come from the Ebla tablets, c. 2300 BC.  Haran's name is said to be from Akkadian harranu, "road".

It is a vibrant place though.  It is a place of great trade and commerce.  But it wasn’t Canaan.

Why do we settle for second-best?  This thing about second best is that it is still second!

Quote: “Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life.”  John F. Kennedy

Why do we settle for second best?

• Tiredness:

Matthew 11:28-30: Come to me, all you who are 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.

We are still called to carry things for Jesus, but they are things that fit us.  I submit to you that sometimes we give up through tiredness because we are trying to carry someone else’s dream!

• Frustration:

Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Sometimes we stop because it is easier.  It is the path of least resistance. 

Quote: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.  Thomas A. Edison

• Inferiority:

Psalm 3:2-3: Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”  Selah.  But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

•  Professionals:

I use this word loosely.  But sometimes we think we cannot be used of God because there are others around us more gifted.  The truth is everyone has something to share and to give.

2.      Don’t Expect the Next Generation to Do Our Job

It is interesting that after Terah dies then Abram is called.  He then moves forward and it becomes apparent that he was to fulfil his father’s dream.  Canaan was still the destination.

Perhaps Terah stopped out of fear.  There are Canaanites everywhere where he was headed (Gen 12:6).  But this only made things more difficult for his son for they would have a greater foothold by the next generation.

I was wondering about this question recently:  Why is it that each generation of the church seems to successfully abdicate its responsibility?

I have heard it taught and encouraged in church life for decades.  It goes something like this: the young people will be the ones who do this or that! 

I have even been in churches where prophetic (or in this case pathetic) words have been said along the lines of “the youth will rise up and the church will go forward!”

When we heard that word I could see everyone else in the church at that moment abdicate their responsibility to do the work of the gospel.

Nope don’t get me wrong.  We love our young people and they’re a great generation.  They have spectacular potential.  But they are not called to sort out the mess of our generation – that’s our job!

Acts 13:36: For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep….

We have no right to expect the next generation to do better than us if we have abdicated our role and responsibility.

Our ceiling should be their floor.  It seems to me sometimes our floor is their ceiling!

I recognise I am standing on the shoulder of giants here, Sherwood, Hutchinson, Greene, Anthony and others.  But are those who are going to follow you and I, should the Lord tarry, think that they are standing on the shoulders of the seven dwarves?

Here’s a tip – live full and die empty!

The heritage to your next generation should not be a permissive state, an Islamic nation or a secular society.  It should be one where Christ is preeminent, evolution is taught in history lessons not science, and the church is a transforming force of salty goodness!

If we have modelled spiritual mediocrity for the next generation then the only hope is that God will intervene with a direct revelation as he did with Abram (Gen 12:1-3).

The problem is that this is what my generation seems to be waiting for!  My friends:  “We are educated far beyond our obedience,” (Mark Bailey).

We are the best resourced generation ever!  We know more than any previous generation.  Knowledge does not extend the Kingdom of God on its own!  Zeal is required too.

Isaiah 9:6-7: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The seal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

The increase of the Kingdom is in the very DNA of the Kingdom, why?  Because God’s zeal is unleashed through Jesus who in turn unleashes His zeal through us!  Don’t believe me?

John 17:18: As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

My friends, we need our zing returned to us!

3.      Don’t Let Your Dreams Die

It seems to me that in Genesis 11 and 12 the intention was to go beyond Haran.  But it also seems that this was not a great conversation within the family or community.

When God spoke to Abram, Abram seemed to have no inclination that this might be the place that the family had left for so long ago!

He doesn’t seem to have a clue.  The only thing in Abram’s favour was that he kept going.  Now he ends up seeing the land, then going to Egypt, having lots of adventures, making mistakes and rescuing Lot, but he opened the doorway for the next generations.

It seems that once Terah had settled in Haran all talk of Canaan ended. 

If a dream is not fostered and talked about it will die.  Now you have to careful who you share your dreams with.  There are always those around who will want to transfer their sense of failure or bitterness as unrequited dreams on you!

Quote: “Don’t let anyone else create your world for you, for if they do, they will always make it too small.” (Ed Cole).

There I was, sitting in the school choir auditions. 

Mrs Woodward came over to a boy called Dean and I.  She said, “one of you is a growler!”  She had Dean and then me sing a verse of a song in turn.  Now, I don’t want to be unkind, but Dean sounded like a cement mixer.  Mrs Woodward turns to me and says, “You can go, you’re not good enough to sing in my choir!”  This I could not believe!  I had been singing in a community choir since the age of four years old!  There was no place for me in her choir. 

She got it wrong – but her decision for a while shrank my world. 

Now, I am no Pavarotti, and the following years I was back in the school choir singing at the Town Hall, and Dean had given up.  I sang in a mission choir for Don Double years later.  I sang at our wedding and then at some friends, but I had no desire to sing on stage etc. 

Here’s the point: for some of us here we have allowed the words of others to discourage our dreams that God gave to us.

Some of us are called to make money for the Kingdom but have stalled.  Some have dreams of serving Jesus, or having a job, or seeing their loved ones come to Christ, or being used of God in church, the list is endless.

But the dreams have stalled.

We cannot live out our dreams through another.  They’re our dreams, we need to live them.

One of the reasons I am so excited about our LifeTracks is that through the process of these we eventually end up discovering why we’re at Life Church and what we’re to do for God – not by fulfilling the dreams of the Pastor but by fulfilling the call and dream you have for your life, a dream that was put there by Jesus!

Paul said he did one thing!

Phil 3:13: But one thing I do….

No you didn’t Paul, you were prolific.  You wrote, planted churches, and expanded the Kingdom.  How can you call that ‘one thing?’

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus,” (13b-14).

My friends, it’s time to recover some dreams in this house!

Wrapping it up

So, if we cast our minds back, we have said that we are here to S.E.R.V.E. God by:

ü  Sacrificial living

ü  Extending the Kingdom

ü  Relationships with One Another

ü  Vibrant in Worship

ü  Empowering People

To Serve God in Our World!

To do this we need our zing back!  We’ll be delving deeper into this in the coming weeks.