Sunday 25th June - Discovering the Good life

Thoughts from David Westlake.

What is the good life, for your friends and family who are not Christians? What is it at the end of their lives that they would think “if I’d done that, had that, been there – it would be worth it”?

Suggestions:-

Health
Wealth – House, Car, Job
Happiness/Fulfilled
Families Succeed
Security – Retirement
Friends
Memories – Holidays
Fame/Connections
Significance
Travel
To have made a difference/contribute
Being understood
Succeeded in ambition/goals
Fun

First questions is there anything on the above list that we don’t want?

How is our behaviour different from those who aren’t following Jesus?
The difference often is that we pray and we pray for the things on the list.

There might be some companies you can’t work in.

Rwandan Bishop – 80% of the country were Christians who attended Church before the genocide.

When the enemy came he found much in us – because there was this blind spot.

What is our blind spot?

Mark 10 – the Rich young ruler – what must I do to inherit eternal life?

At the end Jesus says - How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.

What if Jesus meant it?

What if Jesus meant the stuff on our list gets in the way?

God created good things, and he likes it when we enjoy them. All good stuff isn’t neutral it has the capacity to steal our hearts.
Jesus said to the Rich young ruler you’ve been doing everything, what’s lacking is because this stuff is stealing your heart. Jesus offered the young ruler the same thing he offered his disciples come follow me.

What dream are we going to follow? At the start of the life of our church what dream are we going to follow?

Are we going to offer the western dream with a little bit of prayer or we going to offer a different dream?

How are we going to do it differently?

Isaiah 58 – What are the things that God really cares about?
Injustice, set the oppressed free, share food with the hungry, clother the naked, cancel debts, invite the homeless to be part of families, end exploitation, end unfair practices. Makes giving up food like easy.

Acts 2v42-47 – What did the early church look like?
Devoted to teaching, fellowship, communion/eating together, prayer, wonders & miracles, sharing all possessions with each other, giving to anyone with need, met daily, open home, sincere/honest with each other, earn people’s favour.

What do we do?

What is in my life that is stopping me doing the things God wants me to do?
Where in my life am I not consuming?
When am I thinking about fair trade?

Do I notice the people around me?

Am I for the least, the last and the lost?



The  day continued with us  BBQ'ing together and then cheering on England.