Decisions We Have Made
that help define who and what we are:
Since Metro FamilyLife Church is a company of people committed to living in the supernatural and turning the world upside down for Jesus we have made some decisions.
In order to be a people that turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6) we have made important decisions. They are decisions that determine what we think, what we believe, and how we live.
Here Are a Few of Those Decisions:
- We have made the decision that teaching the Gospel without demonstrating the gospel is not enough. Good preaching is not enough, good doctrine is not enough, and being good people is not enough.
- We have decided that having a good church club is not enough, good fellowship is not enough, and just being a member of that club is not enough.
- We have decided that having good Bible studies is not enough, that just making it to heaven is not enough, and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is not enough.
- We have decided that having good programs is not enough; that change without transformation is not enough, and that staying the same is not an option.
- We have decided that gifting with out character is not enough.
- We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is not enough and having meetings without God showing up is not enough.
- We have decided that having faith without works is not enough and having works without love is not acceptable; our function comes out of our relationship first with the Father and second with each other.
- We have decided that reading about the book of Acts without living the book of Acts is unthinkable.
- We have decided that confident faith is good and bold faith is better.
- We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit without experiencing Him is not enough, that believing in His Presence without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is not enough; believing in healing without seeing people healed is absurd, and that believing in deliverance without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous.
- We have decided to be Holy Spirit filled, Holy Spirit led, and Holy Spirit empowered; anything less doesn’t work for us.
- We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God’s power - not the ones hearing about them.
- We have decided that living saved but not supernatural is living below our privilege and short of what Christ died for.
- We have decided that we are a battle ship not a cruise ship, an army not an audience, Special Forces not spectators, missionaries not club members.
- We have decided to value both pioneers and settlers; pioneers to expand our territory and settlers to build on those territories - but we are not squatters - people who take up space others have fought for without improving it.
- We have decided to be infectious instead of innocuous, contagious instead of quarantined, deadly instead of benign.
- We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers.
- We have decided that we are a mission station and not a museum.
Therefore, We Must:
- Honor the past - but don’t live in it.
- Live in the present with our eyes on the future - not the past.
- See past events - successes and failures - as stepping-stones not stop signs.
- Pursue learning in order to do, not learning in order to know.
- Be a people of engagement, not observation.
- Focus on what could be, not on what is or has been.
- Not be limited to the four walls of a building. Our influence is not restricted by location - not even the nations are out of bounds.
- Be more concerned about how many we send out into the world than how many we convince to come into a building. We will fill a building - but it will not be the measure of who we are or the measure of our effectiveness.
- Raise up world changers - not tour guides. Train commandos, not committees.
- Be a people of our destiny, not of our history.
- We have decided that it is better to fail while reaching for the best God has planned for us than succeed, settling for less.
- We have decided that nothing short of His Kingdom come, His will be done in our world as it is in heaven - nothing short of that will satisfy.
- We have decided that we will not be satisfied until our world freaks out and cries out, “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”
These are some of the decisions that must define who we are as a community and how we live our lives.
These decisions are not destinations, but rather journeys - journeys along an ancient path. We have not found some new way - but rather rediscovered the path as old as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same path followed by Moses, Joshua and Caleb, Paul, John, and Peter.
The path followed by the first century church - a church that revolutionized the culture of the first century and beyond.
It is a path that will impact the world we live in today. It is a path of:
- Bold Faith - believing that what the scripture teaches is really true and acting on it.
- Outrageous Generosity - giving our life away in order to demonstrate His Kingdom, and
- Radical Love - loving God with everything in us and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
It is a path of liberty, freedom, and healing. On this path, one finds significance, purpose, and destiny.
This is a path less traveled, however. It is not a path only available to a select few - not just to those who attend MFLC - but to whosoever will, may come. It is for people of every nation, tribe, and tongue, for those in any occupation or vocation.
No matter where you are in your life’s journey, there is room on this path for you.
Jesus said it this way: “Come, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me - for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and you will find rest unto your souls.”
This is not an invitation to inactivity or retirement - but to cease striving, walk in rest and partner with Christ while turning your world upside down.
Or, we must be a people on fire for God; blazing with flames of worship, radiating with the fear of God, with holiness, beauty, and power. |
