Chasing Daylight - MOVEMENT - 'Ignite a Reaction'

Get this video and more at MySpace.com


Sometimes we under-est. what 1 action might cause - sometimes we can’t even begin to imagine what 1 choice, 1
decision, 1 step, 1 sound, 1 word could catalyze a kind of movement - that you could ignite a reaction.

I wander how many times in life we have the opportunity to ignite a reaction, to be a part of even a small movement, but we just don’t step up and step out and step into that moment.

We have been following Jon and Saul in 1 Sam. 14, and as we wrap this series up today we will see how 1 person can be the catalyst of a movement, that you can ignite a reaction and begin to see things happen thru your life that you could have never imagined.
1 Sam. 14:15-20

We find a moment that no reasonable human being could imagine that they’d have success in, much less survive -
when Jon stepped past that zone of safety and went into battle there had to be in his mind this thought that his life was going to end that day.
How could he have ever guessed that thru his actions history itself would shift and that the activity of God would become undeniable thru everything we have talked about over these last couple of months.

I want to talk today about how we can move our lives into the epicenter of God’s activity - I think many times we live
oblivious that God is even there - in a rel. w/ J.C. and frankly a part of what’s suppose to happen is that there is this swirl of the invisible taking place where God becomes visible thru our lives to those who do not believe.
But it doesn’t just happen by acc.
How can we ignite a Reaction?
How do we find ourselves in the center of God’s activity?

BREAK

We have to break out of the status quo. We have to be willing to break out of the crowd.

The story at this place centers around this EQ and Saul asking who left, and discovering what had happened by leaving us this phrase, v. 17, “it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.”

I know this sounds a little strange, but often what separates us from other people is that we separate ourselves from other people.
I’m not talking about relational isolation or trying to live a life disconnected to people.
I’m talking about living a life that sets you apart from others.
Simply put you’ve got to break out from the crowd.

1 of our problems in life is that it’s so easy for us to conform to the crowd, it’s so easy for us to hide in the middle and not be seen. And the reality is God uses people who are willing to break away from the crowd, break away from the norm, to separate themselves, to distinguish themselves from every1 else in the world.
That’s exactly what Jon did!

If you’re gona pursue the life God has for you, there are gona be moments when everyone in the world thinks you’re out of your mind and you’ll know that your out of your mind, but you’re gona have to do it anyway b/c there’s some things in life that even if there’s no possibility of accomplishing them you can’t live unless you try.

Let me give you a few ways to set yourself apart from the crowd, to distinguish yourself, to move out of the herd, to break away
1. The Quality of Your Work

We live in an environment where people give so much less than their best. People go to work, they take the paycheck, get the job done, do the minimal of what’s expected of them.
And we justify it in our mind, “Ahh it’s just a job”

The truth of the matter is, as long as you’re cashing that check and you’re a follower of J.C. you’re obligated to give your absolute best!
1 of the ways you break away from the crowd is you give your very best of who you are, and you lay it on the table day after day after day. It will begin to distinguish you from others around you.

2. Your Attitude

B/c alot of us live and work in this very competitive world where there are those who are always gona bring it, I mean they show up w/ their ‘A’ game.
They’re working hard, bringing their best, they’re pouring it all in and you’re thinking even if I brought my best I’d still be a part of the pack.
One of the great opportunities we have is to change theenvironment around us.

There are those in this world who have great abilities and know how, and great ideas but are never really utilized b/c they are not well liked. (mayb arrogant, loner, not a good people person, negitive, gossipy)
Have you noticed the opposite is true - not the best ideas or know how but I really like this guy so I’m gona do everything in my power to help him out.
Have you noticed when you like your boss you’re willing to work harder.
- Part of the way to BF from crowd is 2 create an envir. where other people enjoy their lives. To create an envir. where people feel valued, cared for, empowered, and heard - By the way, if you’re connected to God you’re supposed to be one of those people who always infuses optimism and hope into an envir. Christ followers really don’t have a reason to be absolutely cynical, and pessimistic and angry - a part of what it means to be connected to God is to infuse HOPE - now I’m not saying you always have to put on a show and be all stepford, don’t look out when it’s raining and say gee it’s so sunny out today” People will think you’re on drugs, not God.
You can shed light on gloomy sit. though

3. The Character you Demonstrate

There’s a person at work that you can trust, you know that when they give you their word they’re gona keep it.
1 of ways to BA from crowd is to live a life of integrity.

It’s the character you demonstrate and not to allow yourself to compromise your ethics.
I’m amazed by the fact that so many believers find it OK to blur the lines and smear their character.

I think it’s just that we live in an envir. where it’s OK to be dishonest, to compromise values and principles - I think what we under-estimate is that we are supposed to be the human personification of the exact opposite of Enron.
We should be the solution to the corruption in the world.

And people whether they believe in God or not, should be able to watch our lives and say, “I don’t know all about this guys belief system, but I know I can trust him. His values, his chara., his morals”
It shows by the Character you Demonstrate
“Our character is more caught than taught”

SHAKE

If you’re going to Ignite a Reaction you have to be willing to shake things up. - I love how Jon jumped into the battle and didn’t tell his father (I’m not sure why I like)
The point being that there are going to be times in life,
opportunities to seize, to take LIFE to the next level, when we will have to go against the status quo.
Those 600 men w/ Saul could have stepped out but they didn’t, you know why, b/c we all love permission to do the minimum.
It just makes it easier - if everyone agrees to do nothing it feels like your doing something, doesn’t it.
But then you have people like Jon. That if they get in the battle you feel obligated to do something.

Or if you really don’t want to jump right into the battle what do we do? PRAY- isn’t that like a form of running somtimes?

Jon in battle-kills 20-EQ comes-what does Saul do?
He calls the priest and has a prayer meeting.
(BTW, ever wander why some stuff is in the bible? Numbers, genealogies - name child after, show that you can’t speak or even pronounce Hebrew) something to note here -

1 Sam. 14 tells us early that the priest Ahijah was there.
Notably that there has always been an opportunity to pray.
Not only that, Saul asks him to bring over the 'Ark of God'
(which we all know what the 'Ark of the Covenant' is b/c we’ve all seen
‘Raider’s..’ and we’ve seen it’s potential for good/evil.
The Ark was there telling us the power of God was available if they just had the guts to step out and shake things up.
‘We have to do our part - God will do HIS.

When was the last time you did something after you prayed?
AMEN now go do it!
Actually alot of times after prayer we don’t move right into action - we like to speculate, contemplate, deliberate,
conversate, but we usually don’t like to initiate, instigate
we just like to talk God talk.

And God is wanting us to step out and shake things up.
How cool would that be? You’re just living your life for God day by day, just trying to follow Him, and you’re willing to shake things up a bit and all of a sudden you realize the whole earth is shaking and you go, “Wow, man, I didn’t
realize I could that” Then you wake up, “Ohh yeah, I’m getting some help”

Believe me when you begin to ignite a reaction moving w/ God’s heart/purpose you’re gona see that there is more
going on outside of you which leads to our 3rd word:

ILLUMINATE

Jon in battle-God shakes the earth-the lookout sees the Ph. army scrambling-Saul gathers his troops-begin running to the battlefield thinking they’re dead-they see the Ph. fighting boldly, courageously, stupidly, they are killing each-

You realize that Jon instigated this moment, but God has taken it over.
And there’s more going on that they could ever imagine.
When we move w/ the heart and purpose of God we no longer simply committed to a cause, we now become the cause.
God uses us to ignite a movement - in the hearts and lives of others.
And our lives become proof of God.

Steroid abuse in Baseball-
How many believe there's no abuse in MLB? If you believe there is steroid abuse in MLB raise your hand?

Here we are a bunch of cynics b/c we live in a world where people say I don’t believe in God - prove God to me - If you can’t prove it in a lab. I wont believe.
Do you realize every player in MLB today has passed Steroids test? And yet we still believe there’s Steroid abuse. Why is that?
Is it b/c guys are bigger and stronger at 42 than they were at 22, b/c age usually decays production but they hit more HR’s - once they were bruce banner now they’re the Incredible HULK. Do we really have enough evidence even though they came clean on every test. No proof of St use. Sure you do - U know Y?

B/c you can intuitively see the affect of something you have no evidence of.

This is what happens when we begin to live a life in God - it’s like Spiritual Steroids - they may not be able to prove it in a lab. but they know that your life is evidence of God.

Jon stepped into this dark, dangerous moment and he began to illuminate and evey1 around him saw that it was much bigger than flesh and blood. God sent the quake.

(glow sticks - break it, shake it, let it illuminate)

If you begin to break away from the crowd, and shake things up, you begin to illuminate the presence of God
- you will begin to ignite a reaction.