At New Wine LSE 2011, Venue 2's morning speaker for the week was a new leader of a church in Long Beach, Darren Rouanzoin. Aged only 26 God has done amazing things through him and my blog post is just a way of sharing what I have learnt this week.
Starting off on Sunday morning he discussed the Jewish education system and how by the age of 10 all Jewish children know the Torah (first 5 books of the Old Testament) by heart. At 10, those that were chosen carried on their education and at 14 those that were selected again went to rabbis to carry on learning, with the idea that they would be rabbis in the future. They would leave their families and homes to continue learning and dedicating their lives to God.
When Jesus selected the disciples and asked them to follow Him, I am always amazed that they simply left their homes and family to be with Jesus, would I have done the same? They belonged to a culture that was used to this but they had not been selected by the rabbis to continue their learning; Jesus was looking for a different kind of person, a heart that would simply follow and listen. They do not know or realise who He is until Mark 8 where Peter is asked by Jesus; they simply follow Him.
In Acts 4:13 the people around Peter and John had noticed that they 'had been with Jesus' and in Mark 3:13 onwards the calling of the disciples involved just that: we are called to 'be with Him' and then 'sent out'. Its so important that its done in that order but what does 'being with Jesus' require or mean? I think they tried to listen to His teaching and observed what He did and how He acted with strangers. They got it wrong a few times but they always tried. They spent time with Jesus and it was obvious to others, even when Jesus had ascended.
I hope that it is obvious when I spend time with Jesus and that I won't just keep my learning, and what I see, to myself. I have found this a very challenging thought this week especially as I was prompted again to act during this morning's sermon at my church. Although I definitely don't keep my faith to myself as I'm always harping on about church at the school where I work, I haven't really shown and done all I could to share my faith and what it means. I also attended a seminar about Jesus in the workplace while at New Wine and felt God was asking me to start a prayer group with the two other Christians that work at my school and show my faith through more acts of kindness. I could easily bake a cake and take it to work or make people cups of tea. It reminded me that focusing on the negative things that have happened to me at work really doesn't help and I thought back to the things I did do at a previous school I worked at. I was so known for my making tea for everyone that my leaving present was a cup and saucer plant pot! This is how I should be now not just when things are going well. Well the challenge begins!
One thing to notice in your post is the order of when people are sent out or called, after they have had mentorship in God’s Word. It is when a plant is mature that we collect the fruit. It is important to not rush the work God is doing in our lives. As a baby Christian I had a lot of zeal and very little godly wisdom, I offended many because of it. You are so right in that our actions will speak louder than our words. As I have often heard it say, no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care; it is by our love that the world will know Christ. This is not to say; that we do not call bad behavior into accountability, for it is love that corrects. Neglect, avoidance or apathy, does not care and therefore will not discipline. Your desire for growing in the Lord is proof you spend time with Him. His Word is never void so I am equally sure it shows when you spend time with Him. Though at times when I spend with Him, my shame may show for it grieves me when His Word corrects something I should have already known better about and did not behave like I did.
ReplyDeleteMrs. J.