Are you a player or a fan?

Just as in sports, in our Christian life we are either a player or a fan. Each of us should really give ourselves a check up, from the neck up to re-evaluate our priorities to see which camp we reside in;

A fan is someone who decides to participate only if interested.

A player responds to the invitation with joy and gladness.

A fan is not a part of the team.

A player seeks out mentors to help him or her become a better player.

A fan is usually satisfied with minimal help from others.

A fan is very enthusiastic about the game and level of support sometimes depends on the current stats of the team.

A player serves with diligence to please his or her boss, a fan has no boss.

A player receives rewards and accolades; a fan has to buy their own hotdog!

A player has a future and a destiny, but when the game clock reaches 00:00 it is over for the fan.

A player runs with the big dogs and is expected to perform at his very best for each opportunity, while the fan simply sits on the porch and watches them play.

The apostle Paul encourages us to consider the importance of giving ourselves fully to the Lord Jesus Christ and His agenda for our lives in 1 Corinthians 15:58 where he writes: ?Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.?

Are we a player or fan? When asked, what will most people say ?I can?t commit, and really don?t have the time right now,? or ?what?s the rush I can always decided later.?

This excuse, laziness, is one of the devil?s best tools of deception, we Christians and non-believers fall for it everyday. The other excuse is ?I don?t know what God wants from me? I go to church, give my tithe every week, what else does God want with me?? The answer is simple, ?More.?

More time with him throughout the day, and less busyness, more honor and respect, less attitude of ingratitude, more love, less disappointment and complaining, etc… Am I making sense, someone say ?Yes!?

He wants us to seriously totally depend on Him, glorify Him in everything we do, and make the attempt through prayer and meditation on His Holy Word to stay connected to Him which in turn will help us fulfill our daily Christ Empowered Opportunity.

Connecting to God

We first need to establish that we were created by God with value and worth!
God loves us and created us to know Him personally, not from a distance. The Bible tells us: “You created every part of me and put me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13-14).

God loves us

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

God’s has a purpose for us

[Christ speaking] “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10).

The ways of the world can really take a toll on our Godly way of thinking. Our mind is actually the battlefield where the Devil attempts to lure us away from God. He try?s to mess with our thoughts, so when he brings temptation our way, we cave.

The media doesn?t help, Wars fought on the battlefield are now instantaneously available to view in our homes, via, cable news or satellite T.V., terrorists beheading people can be seen via the internet. Honestly, computers, television and excessive gaming, can turn people into disembodied ghosts capable of anything; internet affairs through chat rooms or e-mails, feeding porn addictions so we can be all alone with no watching us ?guiltlessly? experience our sin.

Living Connected with God

Did you know that God desires a lifetime of connecting with us? The worship service we attend once a week is simply to wet our appetite to constantly continue to worship God in whatever we do.

The Triune God creator of the universe has literally died to know you in a personal way. And, through His Holy Spirit, He gives us the tools to live in a connected relationship with Him for all eternity.

Continue Spiritually Being Connected with God

Spiritual breathing is basically exhaling the bad stuff in our lives by confessing our sins to God. The Bible tells us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9).

Then, we need to inhale the Holy Spirit asking God to fill us. The Bible says: “Be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18b).

Share the Love of Christ with Others

The greatest gift we can give others is in our response to a commandment of Christ. Christ said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

How can you share Christ with your friends? We have tools to help you go to your campus or workplace and share Christ.

What kind of a Christ Empowered Opportunity do I have waiting for me? That is between you and God. We encourage you to pray and ask God for guidance. There is a list of ideas that may be able to assist you. Otherwise speak your Pastor.

Equipping you for your Christ Empowered Opportunity

To fulfill God?s purpose which He has intended you for, may be a distinct small audience of one, or millions of people. Whatever your situation, one must be prepared. God?s Word is designed to further the relationship God desires to have with those who love Him. Meditating on His Word, God will enable you and teach, train, give wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and insight to those whom He has chosen.

Contrary to popular beliefs, one cannot ?accept, receive, or come to Christ? on their own. It may be semantics to most, but make no mistake who gave you the opportunity to posses the one true faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is that faith which caused you to believe in God, and His Holy Spirit which moves, and motivates our inner being daily.

John 6:44 ?No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.?

God has been there all along guiding, planting, directing, your every step preparing us to execute His mission, vision, values, as we continue to grow and change to become effective for active ministry.

I am going to encourage you to dwell on these next set of verses as we close. Please meditate on Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28?For in him we live and move and have our being.? As some of your own poets have said, ?We are his offspring.??

So what are you waiting for?

What?s your Christ Empowered Opportunity? ?

Brian Arthur Lampe