Verses:
John 17 : 1 - 5
My thoughts about the verses:
Jesus is on the mount knowing that his time has come to the end. He knows there is only one last step and that is to walk boldly into the arms of death. He asks God to help him put himself aside and take on the role that he was sent to do. The principle is that you do things not for what you can get but for what you can give to God.
God expects us to live a walk of faith. One in which we strive to reach a mark that is bigger than ourselves. We are not guaranteed a perfect life with accolades and praises. Yet, if we stay true to God and do what is expected of us we will receive our reward in Heaven. Jesus died so that we could have the greatest prize ever and that is everlasting life. It is up to us to live through our faith. To accomplish both the small and large task that God puts before us.
Just like Jesus our goal is not to impress others. They will often times be stumbling blocks placed in our way. Yet, if we are able to go around them and be the person God has created we are able to achieve great things. There will be times when you are at your absolute worse. You feel like giving up. You may have even asked God to help you end the pain by letting you go to join the Heavenly Parent. Yet, here is where I want you to understand that you do not have to win ever battle to have your final reward. As long as you stay true to your destiny and the fact that you are chosen by God you will receive the gift of everlasting life.
One can visualize it like a sporting event. The stadium is filled with fans, two teams desiring the same goal and referees overseeing the event. No matter which side wins someone will have to loose. It doesn't matter if it a basketball game, a football game or soccer matches only one team will be the victor that day. Everyone desires that their team is the winner and there on the field stand referees who have to be impartial even if deep down inside they like one team over the other.
Let's start with the fans. Sporting events would not be the glory and spectacle they are without a fan base. Let's just point out even when you have kids playing sports there are fans we call them family encouraging them on. Their goal is to encourage their team to the win. They cheer when impressive plays happen. They encourage their team with chants and applause as the team plays with all their heart. There are two types of fans though. One group of Fans stands behind their team no matter what. The second fan bases their decision on supporting the team as long as things go well.
The fans in our scenario are the world that we live in. There are those that are like minded. They support us and encourage us to do our best. They are from the same fabric as we are. They have the Holy Spirit living within them. Then there are people in the world that are stumbling blocks. They do not have the Spirit living in them. When we fail they celebrate. They encourage us to do bad and push us to forget that God should be the center of our life. When it comes to the world the most important thing is to surround yourself with people that are like you. If you stay with people who are of the world you will not do what God wants from you. Remember you are to bring glory to God by living your faith. If you start leaning toward the things of the Earth you lean further from the fruit of God.
Now let us look at the teams. They both have the same goal and that is to win. They will push their bodies to the limits. Their goal is not just to win this game but to win the tournament. The problem is both teams cannot win. There is always a loser and a winner. There are two types of players that make up the team. there are two types of players one with great sportsmanship and those that brag and boast. Both teams will have these types of players.
Those team members that show sportsmanship are like those that are bringing Glory to God through their deeds. Their focus is not on what they gain but what they give. They appreciate that everyone is doing their best. As they accomplish things they are doing it for their team. They are not doing it to get the rounds of applause or sponsorships. Instead they are doing it so their team can win the covenant title. They are humble because they appreciate the fact that they were chosen above others to play. They understand that they are not in it by their self. That in actuality it takes the whole team to win. No matter what level they are in their sport they do it because of the love of the game.
Now let's look at the other team players. They love the accolades. They live for hearing their name praised. They strut their stuff and rub both their small and large accomplishments in the other player’s faces. They are not playing for the team but, rather for their own goal. They know if they outperform the rest of the players endorsements will soon follow. They forget why they started playing. Now they are in it for the praise and they often do foolish things because of their loss of focus.
The last thing to discuss is the referees. There are the ones that do their job and have to be fair. People have no clue how hard it is to ref a game and to put your own biases to the side. They spend day after day honing their skills. They have to be athletic and never get the praise. Instead they are ridiculed from one side or the other. They never win because someone's team always loses. Who better to blame than the officials. Yet, a good referee is not doing it for their glory they are doing it because they love the game they are officiating. They do it so the games can go on and so that people can participate. They are the ones that ensure that all of the people involved at least act properly.
Now let’s go back to the scripture. The referees are like Jesus. They are being fair and sacrificing their selves for their passion. They are not doing anything for glory rather they are making the calls that lead to others victories. The players are those that accept Christ. They have to remember to focus on God. They have to continue down the correct path. If they sway too far they will lean away from God and follow the world. Last, but not least is the fans. The fans are the world around us. Some encourage us while others hate us. Some are like minded while others attack us.
We have to make sure that we are walking in faith. We need to be the team member, Christian, that just doesn't talk but actually does what they are called to do. Not boasting of what we are doing or expecting glory. Instead we need to set about living our life because it is the right thing to do as a Christian. The ultimate goal is to bring glory to God and to do that we must do what God desires. No matter what happens in our life we need to keep God the focal point of our life.
Prayer:
Dear God thank you for everything that you have done in our life. We give you praises for Jesus who died so that we may have everlasting life. Dear God we ask that you help us live the life that glorifies you. We ask that you be with us as we walk each day in faith. Dear God we offer our lives to you. May they bring glory to you. In your Holy name we pray. Amen
Questions:
Have you accepted Christ in your life? Are you bringing Glory to God? Are you living the life that God desires of you? What must you do to ensure that you are not being a stumbling block to others? Are you leaving the world behind and focusing on pleasing God?
My thoughts about the verses:
Jesus is on the mount knowing that his time has come to the end. He knows there is only one last step and that is to walk boldly into the arms of death. He asks God to help him put himself aside and take on the role that he was sent to do. The principle is that you do things not for what you can get but for what you can give to God.
God expects us to live a walk of faith. One in which we strive to reach a mark that is bigger than ourselves. We are not guaranteed a perfect life with accolades and praises. Yet, if we stay true to God and do what is expected of us we will receive our reward in Heaven. Jesus died so that we could have the greatest prize ever and that is everlasting life. It is up to us to live through our faith. To accomplish both the small and large task that God puts before us.
Just like Jesus our goal is not to impress others. They will often times be stumbling blocks placed in our way. Yet, if we are able to go around them and be the person God has created we are able to achieve great things. There will be times when you are at your absolute worse. You feel like giving up. You may have even asked God to help you end the pain by letting you go to join the Heavenly Parent. Yet, here is where I want you to understand that you do not have to win ever battle to have your final reward. As long as you stay true to your destiny and the fact that you are chosen by God you will receive the gift of everlasting life.
One can visualize it like a sporting event. The stadium is filled with fans, two teams desiring the same goal and referees overseeing the event. No matter which side wins someone will have to loose. It doesn't matter if it a basketball game, a football game or soccer matches only one team will be the victor that day. Everyone desires that their team is the winner and there on the field stand referees who have to be impartial even if deep down inside they like one team over the other.
Let's start with the fans. Sporting events would not be the glory and spectacle they are without a fan base. Let's just point out even when you have kids playing sports there are fans we call them family encouraging them on. Their goal is to encourage their team to the win. They cheer when impressive plays happen. They encourage their team with chants and applause as the team plays with all their heart. There are two types of fans though. One group of Fans stands behind their team no matter what. The second fan bases their decision on supporting the team as long as things go well.
The fans in our scenario are the world that we live in. There are those that are like minded. They support us and encourage us to do our best. They are from the same fabric as we are. They have the Holy Spirit living within them. Then there are people in the world that are stumbling blocks. They do not have the Spirit living in them. When we fail they celebrate. They encourage us to do bad and push us to forget that God should be the center of our life. When it comes to the world the most important thing is to surround yourself with people that are like you. If you stay with people who are of the world you will not do what God wants from you. Remember you are to bring glory to God by living your faith. If you start leaning toward the things of the Earth you lean further from the fruit of God.
Now let us look at the teams. They both have the same goal and that is to win. They will push their bodies to the limits. Their goal is not just to win this game but to win the tournament. The problem is both teams cannot win. There is always a loser and a winner. There are two types of players that make up the team. there are two types of players one with great sportsmanship and those that brag and boast. Both teams will have these types of players.
Those team members that show sportsmanship are like those that are bringing Glory to God through their deeds. Their focus is not on what they gain but what they give. They appreciate that everyone is doing their best. As they accomplish things they are doing it for their team. They are not doing it to get the rounds of applause or sponsorships. Instead they are doing it so their team can win the covenant title. They are humble because they appreciate the fact that they were chosen above others to play. They understand that they are not in it by their self. That in actuality it takes the whole team to win. No matter what level they are in their sport they do it because of the love of the game.
Now let's look at the other team players. They love the accolades. They live for hearing their name praised. They strut their stuff and rub both their small and large accomplishments in the other player’s faces. They are not playing for the team but, rather for their own goal. They know if they outperform the rest of the players endorsements will soon follow. They forget why they started playing. Now they are in it for the praise and they often do foolish things because of their loss of focus.
The last thing to discuss is the referees. There are the ones that do their job and have to be fair. People have no clue how hard it is to ref a game and to put your own biases to the side. They spend day after day honing their skills. They have to be athletic and never get the praise. Instead they are ridiculed from one side or the other. They never win because someone's team always loses. Who better to blame than the officials. Yet, a good referee is not doing it for their glory they are doing it because they love the game they are officiating. They do it so the games can go on and so that people can participate. They are the ones that ensure that all of the people involved at least act properly.
Now let’s go back to the scripture. The referees are like Jesus. They are being fair and sacrificing their selves for their passion. They are not doing anything for glory rather they are making the calls that lead to others victories. The players are those that accept Christ. They have to remember to focus on God. They have to continue down the correct path. If they sway too far they will lean away from God and follow the world. Last, but not least is the fans. The fans are the world around us. Some encourage us while others hate us. Some are like minded while others attack us.
We have to make sure that we are walking in faith. We need to be the team member, Christian, that just doesn't talk but actually does what they are called to do. Not boasting of what we are doing or expecting glory. Instead we need to set about living our life because it is the right thing to do as a Christian. The ultimate goal is to bring glory to God and to do that we must do what God desires. No matter what happens in our life we need to keep God the focal point of our life.
Prayer:
Dear God thank you for everything that you have done in our life. We give you praises for Jesus who died so that we may have everlasting life. Dear God we ask that you help us live the life that glorifies you. We ask that you be with us as we walk each day in faith. Dear God we offer our lives to you. May they bring glory to you. In your Holy name we pray. Amen
Questions:
Have you accepted Christ in your life? Are you bringing Glory to God? Are you living the life that God desires of you? What must you do to ensure that you are not being a stumbling block to others? Are you leaving the world behind and focusing on pleasing God?
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