building a people with purpose

I thought everything was going well getting to church this morning. I ended up allowing 10 minutes to get across to Short Street. Didnt even get past the units on Sharon St and realised I left my USB stick and my present for Steff, so I turned back and parked in the bins bay, and then sped to Short Street with the song "Live out Loud" blarring through my speakers.

This morning I had to live without Steff (kids ministry) and Stoz (Melbourne). I managed to find some kids I met on friday night.

This song really said what was on my heart today:

Lord, Reign in Me

Over all the earth
You reign on high
Every mountain stream
Every sunset sky
But my one request
Lord my only aim
Is that You’d reign in me again

Lord reign in me
Reign in Your power
Over all my dreams
In my darkest hour
You are the Lord
Of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again

Over every thought
Over every word
May my life reflect
The beauty of my Lord
‘Cause you mean more to me
Than any earthly thing
So won’t You reign in me again

We also sung a song that brings back heaps of memories. Some good, some bad. Reminds me a lot of when I first became a christian.

You are Near

In awe of You we worship
And stand amazed at Your great love
We're changed from glory to glory
We set our hearts on You our God

Now Your presence fills this place
Be exalted in our praise
As we worship I believe
You are near

Now Your presence fills this place
Be exalted in our praise
As we worship I believe
You are near

In awe of You we worship
And stand amazed at Your great love
We're changed from glory to glory
We set our hearts on You our God

Now Your presence fills this place
Be exalted in our praise
As we worship I believe
You are near

Now Your presence fills this place
Be exalted in our praise
As we worship I believe
You are near

Blessings and honour
And glory and power
Forever, forever

Blessings and honour
And glory and power
Forever, forever

Blessings and honour
And glory and power
Forever, forever

Blessings and honour
And glory and power
Forever, forever

Blessings and honour
And glory and power
Forever, forever

In awe of You we worship

and also this one for the same reasons:

Eagles Wings
Here I am waiting
Abide in me I pray
Here I am longing
For You
Hide me in Your love
Bring me to my knees
May I know Jesus
More and more

Come live in me
All my life
Take over
Come breathe in me
I will rise
On eagles wings

The sermon started off with a video. Its a short movie about a guy who's in a hurry. He jumps in his car, begins to back out, and almost collects a kid on his scate board. Annoyingly, he drives on. He then gets to a really busy intersection. Extremely annoyed. Gets to the carpark where his park is taken by a chick who he crowns "parking princess". He gets into the coffee shop, and there's a massive line! More annoyance. 4.2 Minutes later, he gets to the counter, and a guy pushes in front of him wanting cookies. After making it obvious that he is annoyed, he orders the coffee, and the coffee maker says that it will be a few minutes. Extremely adgetated at this stage he goes and sits at one of the dining tables and waits. Next, a random guy walks up to him and gives him a glasses case. He then opens this glasses case to find what? Yep, glasses. He puts them on and suddenly he can see words in front of everybody about what struggles they are going through. Things like lost his job (about a guy who's playing with his kids), looking for purpose in life, cries herself to sleep. The guy is immediately uncomfortable and amazed. He then sees the coffee maker walking towards him, the words in front of him, fighting an addiction. He then looses it and runs out of the coffee shop. He almost bowls down a big guy who just wants a hug, and a humble lady who is a struggling mother of 3, just wants to be a good mum. He runs back to his car, on his way, sees "parking princess", who is titled, grieving for her best friend. As he drives home he sees people that left home 3 days ago, and needing a place to live. When he gets home he takes the glasses off, then sees the kid on the scate board again. He looks through the glasses a final time and sees the words, just needs somebody to care. He immediately goes over to the kid and starts to talk to him. Thats where it ends. I almost lost it.

What is our purpose? Are we loosing perspective of the Acts 2 church? What happened in Acts 2 again?

Acts 2:1-12

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

There was then a bit of prophesying and blessing and what-not. What defines an Acts 2 church? Does this kind of stuff happen every week at church? Should all churches be under the Acts 2 (or even 1 corinthians 14) motive? These are interesting questions that I'd like someone to comment on.

Perspective. Like in that video, things are often not what they seem. Sometimes we forget to see ourselves the way God sees uz.

Ephesians 4:1
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Ephesians 4:11-16
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

**points about this**

• ^ As christians this is our responsibility, and this can be used as a "blueprint".
• You can drown spiritually if you dont put the Word of God into practice.
• A spiritual gift can be defined as the God-given ability to serve God and other Christians in such a way that Christ is glorified and believers are edified.
• All characters in the bible had flaws. I wanna see if I can find that list that was read out this morning.
• 1 Peter 2:4-9 suggests that we are 'spiritually equal'.
• Everybody needs to do their role in the church. If one person withdraws, it puts more weight on another.
• If you recieve and not give you get fat. If you give but do not recieve you get faint. If you give and recieve you grow faith.

Thats all for now.