Sermon Recap: Emmanuel Labor Pt. 3
Speaker: Pastor Pierre du Plessis
Read: Genesis 1:1-2, 27-28, 15; Psalm 8:6, 73:28; Luke 22:29; John 5:39; Romans 5:17; Hebrews 2:10
Many of us view our lives as family, friends, human experiences and our occupation a means to make money to support our lives. As Christians we also focus on making it to heaven. But if we think the only purpose of salvation is to get to heaven when we die, we are missing God’s intent and are failing to realize that we are called to reign while here on earth in the life we have. God has ordained us to rule over all that He has created. We are to be the visible image of the invisible God. Our vocation is to be service and worship to God and we are to cultivate a flourishing life on earth and make a difference in this world.
We are each assigned a jurisdiction in God’s kingdom over places and spaces unique to us and over which we are to have influence. We are on assignment in every area of our lives. We are to intentionally use our God-given gifts, talents and abilities to co-labor with God to restore and build the Garden City of human flourishing. Within our assignments, we are to draw out the potential of those things or people placed within our jurisdiction. We are to subdue or to bring order to what is wild and we are to guard against any form of opposition that attempts to thwart our calling. To be successful requires that we develop and maintain an intimate relationship with God. It is this intimacy that will bring accuracy to our assignments and make our efforts fruitful.
GROUP QUESTIONS:
1. What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. What do you see as your jurisdiction? What do you believe you are called to do in God’s Kingdom?
3. What makes you feel intimate with another person? What are ways we can develop intimacy with God?
4. It was said that the church is meant to be a midwife to the Kingdom of God; and an incubator for greatness for those who go (and complete their assignment.) What does this mean to you?
5. It was said that every human has gold somewhere (in them), even those who don’t realize it, but often we are too lazy to cultivate or dig for the gold in others. What does this mean to you?
6. What are the various things you have done over the course of your life? What has been your most mundane task? How might it change your outlook to view your most mundane task as being done for Him?
7. It was said that we cannot cultivate others if we do not cultivate the well in ourselves. What does this mean to you?
