Module 8-Running the Race Marked Out by Eternal Purpose Institute

pressing toward the high call of God

one thing I do - it is my one aspiration: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the supreme and heavenly prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward — Philippians 3:13-14

pressing toward the call of God Genesis 12.1—translated from original Hebrew by David Newington

get yourself out of your country, … away from your kinsmen and away from your father’s house … and go to the land that I will show you

pressing toward the call of God go away for yourself, for your own reasons, from your country and from your kinfolk make up your mind separately from your clan they are going to stay - you go! they are going to settle down, their religious drive has evaporated

pressing toward the call of God not so with you Abram you emigrate. keep travelling. go away to establish your own lifestyle in dependence upon Almighty God

curriculum the high call of God to his messianic community

destiny… vocation… design… dynamic…

pressing toward the high call of God running race marked out for us leading God’s people into their inheritance overcoming in arena of spiritual conflict

running the race marked out for us

running the race let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance unnecessary weight - and that sin which so readily, deftly and cleverly, clings to and entangles us… and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us

looking away from all that will distract to Jesus, who is the leader and the source of our faith and is also its finisher; he, for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame and is now seated at the right hand of God

just think of him who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against himself - reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials – so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds —Hebrews 12:1-3, Amplified Bible

overview competing in the race 

according to the rules, for the prize

praying unceasingly 

devotional prayer—key to divine relationship

pressing into our ministry-calling 

discovering and fulfilling God’s call

competing in the race run to win!

don’t run aimlessly but straight for the finish line… don’t shadow box but try to make every punch count —1 Corinthians 9.24-27

I do it all because of the rewards promised by the Good News, so that I may share in them along with the other who come to trust; don’t you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one wins the prize? so then, run to win! now every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline… we do it to win a crown that will last forever… — 1 Corinthians 9.23-27

competing in the race entering the contest running the appointed course running according to the rules running toward the goal running with steady, active perseverance

entering the contest availability, not merely willingness — Matthew 21:28-30

starts with training, discipline 

every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline

one thing I do   

forgetting what is behind strain towards what is ahead press on to win the prize

running the appointed course single-minded, persistent focus upon Jesus, Author, Perfector of our faith

individual ministry calling becoming holy and useful to the Master

discovering personal destiny personal, not selfish ambition

serving God’s purpose part of bigger picture

running according to the rules an athlete can’t win a contest unless he competes according to the rules —2 Timothy 2.5

living a holy life… living in good relationship… living by faith…

living a holy life a dedicated life offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God; this will please him – it is the logical temple worship for you — Romans 12.1-3

a heart with room for the Lord keep pursuing shalom with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord — Hebrews 12.7-14

living in good relationship wife, husband, submit to one another — 1 Timothy 3.1-13; Ephesians 5.21-33

children, parents; employer, employee — Ephesians 6.1-9

leaders, elders, congregational leaders — Hebrews 13.17; 1 Peter 5.5

hospitable — 1 Peter 4.9, Romans 13.8, Heb. 13.2-3

living by faith : looking into invisible consider and look not to the things which are seen but to the things which are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal, brief and fleeting but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting —2 Corinthians 4:18

living by faith: daring to do impossible faith is the assurance, the confirmation, the title-deed, of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality – faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses —Hebrews 11.1

living by faith only way to please God without trusting it is impossible to be well pleasing to God —Hebrews 11.6

seeing into invisible trusting is being confident of what we hope for —Hebrews 11.1

with God all things are possible Abraham was past hope, yet in hope he trusted… —Romans 4.18

running toward the goal : love greatest commandment love from a clean heart, a good conscience, a sincere trust — Matthew 22.36-40; I Timothy 1.5-7

love covers a multitude of sins always be humble, bearing with one another in love — Ephesians 4.1-6

everyone will know that you are my disciples by the fact that you have love for each other — John 13.35

with steady, active perseverance do not grow weary of doing good… for if we don’t give up, we will in due time reap the harvest — Galatians 6.9

enduring discipline, testing as a son, a soldier the testing of your trust produces perseverance; but let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing — James 1.3-12 — Hebrews 12.7; 2 Timothy 2.3

overview competing in the race according to the rules, for the prize

praying unceasingly devotional prayer—key to divine relationship

pressing into our ministry-calling discovering and fulfilling God’s call

praying unceasingly key to divine relationship

always be joyful, pray unceasingly, in everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Jesus —1 Thessalonians 5.16-18

prayer : key to divine relationship intimacy with the Father uniting with Messiah obedience to Jesus walking in step with Holy Spirit foundational to all ministry

intimacy with the Father prayer is… a natural response to new nature where our anxieties are released to God where our fears are calmed by God where our hearts hear God’s heart where consecration takes place where conviction is strengthened our access to throne of God

uniting our soul with Messiah uniting with Messiah means being transformed in our minds, yielding our will to his, sharing in his emotions… being changed into his image — Romans 12.1-3 & 8.29; 2 Corinthians 3.18

if you remain united with me and my words with you, then ask whatever you want and it will happen for you; this is how my Father is glorified – in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my disciples — John 15.7

walking in step with the Spirit discipleship relationship with Holy Spirit  

brokenness, key to sensitivity Spirit leading, key to intercession

supernatural realm of relationships   

towards God towards people towards spiritual powers

foundation to successful ministry 

provides fuel for running race

overview competing in the race according to the rules, for the prize

praying unceasingly devotional prayer—key to divine relationship

pressing into our ministry-calling discovering and fulfilling God’s call

pressing into our ministry-calling discovering and fulfilling God’s call one thing I do - it is my one aspiration: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the supreme and heavenly prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.” —Philippians 3.7-14

discovering our vocation our passion our dream, our deepest hope, motivation

our gift our talent, our capability, capacity

our style our individuality, personality

our personal work, vocation, calling discovering it, pressing in to fulfil it

our passion our dream  

our deepest desire clarity frequently emerges out of crisis, brokenness

meanwhile can lead to years of frustration  

often difficult to interpret requires patience and perseverance

no satisfaction without pursuing it  

we may be satisfied, but not the Lord presence of both probably indicates calling

our gift spiritual gifts, natural abilities    

both God’s gifts, according to grace discernment sometimes required between them exercise according to faith combine together to give unique capability

understanding and appreciating brokenness 

learning to rest from our own works

our personal style organised by being structured beware of being over-controlling

organised by being unstructured beware of being irresponsible

…

individuality emerges out of freedom… freedom emerges out of maturity maturity doesn’t depend on age… “experience is not what happens to us… it’s what we learn from what happens to us!”

our vocation, work, calling an ordained drawing into God’s purposes 

called first of all to God

calling becomes commissioning   

specific, focused, defined boundaries why? where? who with? with what purpose, goal, method?

many things offer distraction 

main thing : to keep main thing as main thing!

discovering ministry-calling 1.

seek God’s face and heart  

become holy 

break-through in prayer to passionate determination to know and love God diligently search Scriptures make room in your heart for God’s priorities

become grace-filled  

don’t be driven by insecurities don’t confuse concern with a desire to control

discovering vocation 4.

become big-hearted  

remain leadable, teachable 

open-minded towards different streams of God’s people and purposes avoid fads and fashion use wide cross section of resources to improve understanding and knowledge of God’s purposes

finally : become unmovable! 

once discovered—don’t let go, don’t give up

pressing in to complete the call fan the flame the gift of God… — 2 Timothy 1:6-9

keep your sense of urgency; fight the good fight of faith: finish the race — 2 Timothy 4:1-7

according to the prophecies made about you this charge I put to you, in keeping with the prophecies already made about you, so that by these prophecies you may fight the good fight — 1 Timothy 1:18-20

a prophecy for you… “what does it mean to be an ambassador of Christ?”

I have a purpose, my life has a meaning I have been born for a reason and I have come to the kingdom of God for such a time as this;

…there is a work that I must perform; there is a destiny that I must fulfil; for I have been called and chosen…

I have been set apart to the Lord, to Adonai, to serve him and his purpose, among this generation - my generation –

…by picking up his heartbeat for the body of Christ, for Israel and for the peoples of the world,

…in the dynamic of the Spirit's presence, power, fire, freedom and anointing, …until death or until Y'shua Messiah, the Lord's Anointed One, Jesus Christ, returns in great power and glory!!

I am chosen by him to serve as his ambassador - a divine representative, …performing his own work as my own work; bearing his name as my own name…

…serving him in the eyes of the world, but never serving the world itself; …forsaking all other loyalties in pursuance of my loyalty to him;

…representing him faithfully and excellently, truthfully and honestly, powerfully and courageously in every encounter;

…bravely and confidently enduring each and every arena of conflict, …knowing that whether I live or die, in obeying him, I have overcome all things!

“ and henceforth, there will be laid up for me a crown of life”

… for each and every ambassador of Christ: our calling, our gifts, our abilities, our ministries are diverse …but each one must hold fast to the divine mandate of “revival for mission”

… revival represents the divine touch that awakens the people of the light from the slumbers of complacency, that sets apart, separates, makes holy, pure and refined a people ready and equipped to serve God's purpose

… mission represents the eternal purpose of God: to bring many sons to glory “not willing that any should perish,” for God's heartbeat is people and we are his ambassadors to those people…

leading God’s people into their inheritance

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