7.29.10 "When the Body Wakes Up"

"When the Body Wakes Up"

2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28
Romans 12:1-21
Psalm 22:19-31
Proverbs 20:8-10

Do you ever wonder where we are in the scope of the history of God's people? As we look in the word and go through the hundreds of years of the kings we see there are ages of blessing and ages of bondage. Where are we now? What is written in the books of heaven about this generation? Do they serve the Lord?

We are in the age where the Body is about to wake up. I think over the past hundred years, there has been a consistent pouring out of God's spirit in millions coming to Christ around the world. Hearts are being made right with God. When we add Romans 12 to the equation, the anticipation increases. There is something big about to happen.

Romans 12: 1 says "...I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy -- the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?" We've heard that a hundred times, but meditate on it.

verse 2, " Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you." The behavior and customs of this world teach "it's all about me." Think the fresh thought of "It's NOT about me." Why? Because THEN from YOUR OWN experience you will learn how his ways will SATISFY you!

Romans 12:4,5 "Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others."

Big deal I've heard that a hundred times, too.

You're right. it's been heard a hundred times for hundreds of years. It's time to live it. You may have heard about the 80-20 rule. It's the principle that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. It's true in almost any organization. It's been true in the body of Christ.

How would you feel if your body only had 20% of it functioning? How do you think Christ feels? Most people don't have the mindset that we ARE the Body of Christ, and we need to be healthy and active. Many just come in, sit in a pew and leave having no idea "how his ways will really satisfy you."

Look at the rest of Romans 12. Verse 6-9 Instruct us that whatever it is, we do it WELL! Too often we do a good enough job to get by, or we just do enough to please our conscience. That's NOT what it's about! We will not experience true satisfaction unless we obey these commands.

Read the rest of the chapter. Read it with urgency. When the Body of Christ gets this, we are going to experience something like never before.

To live the DREAM, we must be urgent about each of these elements. Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is your relationship with the Lord. If you you're going to love the Lord with all your heart, you must follow through with R-E-A-M. It's not optional. It's the fulfillment of his plan for our lives. As I've said before, "Your world is desperate for you to be who God created you to be." You must be solidly connected to the Body of Christ in developing your "Relationships Devoted to Unity", You must be in the Word "Empowered through Biblical Training", You MUST get serious about living up to your potential in "Active Ministry Involvement", and it's not about you. It's about our "Mission to Reach our World for Christ."

One verse that I find particularly important for all of us: Romans 12:9 - "Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them."

It's time for the Body of Christ to stop hitting the snooze alarm. It's time to wake up!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ